Your Opinion: Jefferson City’s remarkable tie to Civil War

Charlotte Schnieders

Jefferson City

Dear Editor:

Why are millions of people from other countries flocking to America's borders to illegally enter this country? My guess is they don't have the freedoms in their present country, are under tyrannical rule and feel oppressed. Why then, are there people born in this country, who are given these freedoms, not only "hate this country" but want to tear it down? Is it because, they have never lived, or been in a different country and don't realize how truly lucky they are, or are they just being indoctrinated in our education system? Whatever it is, they'd better wake up, because America is quickly becoming a Socialist/Marxist country and their freedoms will be gone!

That is why history is so important and those wanting to destroy America are tearing it down. Statues of Founders, presidents and the brave people that fought and are still fighting in our wars. Freedom is so important that Americans have defended other countries to preserve it. Think of what the world would have been like under Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Lenin or present rulers, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Ali Khamenei or Putin.

Do people really think that men who wrote in the U.S. Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal and they are endowed with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" would have beaten their slaves? But that has been used to tear down statues, our history!

The story of Jeff City during the Civil War is quite remarkable. The Union General, Egbert Brown in charge of Jefferson City's defense had fewer than 1,000 unorganized infantry. Hearing Gen. Sterling Price was advancing, Brown pulled together 4,800 unorganized volunteers, most without weapons and was outnumbered by Confederate forces two to one.

In a week's time, every available person helped fortify the city. Brown's genius was a ruse to appear to have more soldiers by marching them in a loop, which tricked Confederate scouts and caused Price not to attack. Jefferson City and its people were saved. Abraham Lincoln ended slavery. Our ancestors lived to give birth to new generations, to us! The plaque is about Price's defeat, a gift from the losers and a great lesson to people now, to never give up. Use that God-given brain for solutions, not hate and anger!