“History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart, and we
repeat history until we are able to make another’s pain in the heart our own.” Julius Lester, the author of the Newbery
Honor book To Be A Slave, said this about the plight of black people enslaved
in America. His statement is a universal
truth.
It is universally true because we know that slavery was pain
beyond measure for the millions of enslaved people in America and that dissolution
of slavery was absolutely right, and, we can also feel the pain in our heart
that George W. Elliott felt the night he cursed damnable abolitionism.
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| George W. Elliott |
It was one late October evening in Ahnapee in 1862, when a bulky,
black-bordered envelope was delivered to the Steele Street home of the old man,
George W. Elliott. He knew as soon as he
saw it that it brought bad news. Slowly,
with a trembling hand, he opened the letter, and silently read that his youngest
son, Park, had met a hero’s death on the Perryville, Kentucky battlefield in
the War Between the States. Without a
word or tear, and with a white hard-set face, George went to his book case,
took down the family bible, and wrote upon a page in the family record, "Park
B. Elliott died October 8th, 1862
Aged 17 years 9 month(s) and 24 days.
Fell a sacrifice to accursed abolitionism."
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| The bible page record of Park Benjamin Elliott's death |
Who could not feel George’s loss and make his pain our own? All four of his sons—Irving, David, Charles
and Park—went to the Union cause. The
boys had joined willingly, even enthusiastically, to fight. When war broke out Charles was among the
first to enlist. As a member of the
famous Co. E. Iron Brigade, he joined the fight to save the union on June 28,
1861—just two and half months after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Park enlisted in Co. C. 10th
Wisconsin Infantry. Irving was the
youngest soldier in Co. I. 32nd Wisconsin Infantry. David enlisted in November, 1861 in Co. G. 14th Wisconsin Infantry.
Irving made it home to Ahnapee alive, but just barely. David never returned. He was reported to have either died of
illness at Nashville, Tennessee on December 22, 1864, or, in desperation, had
deserted. Charles was severely injured
when he was wounded in the Battle of Antietam; Park died.
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| Park Benjamin Elliott |
We know wholeheartedly that slavery was over 200 years of abomination
for black people in America. In addition
to their suffering, it took the sacrifices of so many young boys like Park and
his brothers, his uncles, brothers-in-law, and their families, too. Stopping the spread of slavery nearly dissolved
our country’s union. There was
heartbreak enough, for everyone.
Have we learned history’s lessons? Have we made another’s pain in their heart
our own?
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