Taps for the Lost

A bugler played a sad rendition of taps on the battlefield in honor of all the dead and a respectful silence fell across the area. The battle was over and it appeared that the Union soldiers had won, something we'd heard didn't happen.

Evidently, as explained by a very astute little boy standing in front of us whose father was one of the Confederate soldiers who had "died" a few feet away, this was Part 1 of the battle when the Yankees won. Part 2 would be tomorrow and then, oh glory, the men in gray would win this Battle of Aiken and push Sherman's men back to Columbia, thereby saving Aiken and Augusta from total destruction.

So the battle was over and although we wanted to stay and browse the souvenir shops and listen to the folk music once more, we were frozen and wet, so we left the Battle of Aiken site with a bit more of an understanding of the old sentiments down here.