EDITOR’S NOTE: The following editorial comment was made long ago by Plank Road Farm founder Fred Hilbert Sr., father of State Senator Fred Hilbert (1960-64) of Wayland. Both Hilberts lived long and distinguished lives. The editorial is reprinted with permission from Then & Now Historical Library.
(Excerpt from Fred Hilbert Papers)
In the past we have put stress on hero worship; a statesman, a general, a poet, an inventor or the discoverer of a great cure for a fatal disease.
Inasmuch as these records have their good points, I have wondered about the men and women who were the real actors in our pasts. What about their contribution to the making of our history the last 200 years or so?
I would like to know more about the 18-year-old boy who marched away to fight for the Union (during the Civil War). Where do you find him three months from his enlistment, at Vicksburg, Antietam or fighting in some crossroads of small importance to us, but to him, death or a nearly fatal wound.? Perhaps left where he fell and perhaps loaded into a two-wheel ambulance and jogged and tumbled over a road full of ruts and holes for twenty-four hours and laid on a hard board of a deck without cover. Waiting his turn to be transported up or down a river to a hospital, without food and perhaps two drinks of water.
This is a letter from Pvt. Edward L. Edes to his father dated April 14,1863:
“I have a mortal dread of the battlefield, for I have never yet been nearer to one than to hear the cannon roar and have never seen a person die. I am afraid that the groans of the wounded and dying will make me shake. Nevertheless, I hope and trust that strength will be given me to stand up and do my duty.”
It is he I’d like to know about; he interests me more than his captain. I would like to walk over the ground where he fought and rode. If he died, I would like to visit his grave and offer a prayer… I’d say, “Thank you, Son, for what you did for me.”
I believe this is history; yo
u ride through Tennessee, Kentucky, and northern Alabama you see markers or a small slab stating General so and so and his Calvary crossed here. You note a real event occurred on this spot, little known, but it was a part of the past.
One does not realize that every day events that happen in your lifetime are also history.
To the young, make a record of seemingly small things of your life and in 50 years read them. These will not only be of interest to you, but also a contribution to history. How many of us have witnessed an event of historical value and years later find that some of the details have faded from memory, maybe the exact time or date, or who was there?
It would be interesting history to the school children to be shown where the roads were traveled for years before a uniform plan straightened them. I might add, we still have many places in our county where well built roads still follow the old trails of the Indians and early settlers.