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I Am a Reflection of My Heritage
by Sharon
My Great-Great Grandfather, was Michael Wardell. Grandpa Michael was born in 1829 and died in 1901. He was in the 6th, Tennessee County D, Eastern Tennessee Infantry. He was only a Private, as he was a scout all during the Civil War. My third Cousin, was a charming elderly gentleman by the name of Howard Wardell. I just called him Uncle Howard. Uncle Howard use to tell stories about the life that my Grandpa lived during that time and it is interesting to see how the life that my Grandpa lived so many years ago has influenced and formed the life that my family and me continue to lead today. He sometimes shared his own personal experiences of meeting and visiting with many old Civil War soldiers. The following quotes are taken from a letter that my Uncle wrote to the family about his personal life and the life of Grandpa. The experiences are very real although from a very long time ago and from his words I gain my strength and motivation to write you this letter because even though this was written many years ago the message is still very relevant today.
"All were Union soldiers and very strong Republicans. Grandpa would have turned over in his grave if he thought that any of his children and grandchildren voted Democrat. For you see at that time the Republicans were fighting for the Union. The Democrats for the South, and in their fighting against the Union, they were shooting down the stars and the stripes and burning them, for they thought that they were going to win. You just automatically became a Democrat if you fought the Confederates, and vice versa.
Now Grandpa and Grandma lived on a little 60-acre farm, mostly hills. I roamed all over it when a child. Grandpa did not have the hard times like the ones that had to work for wages for a living -- he had his little Civil War pension, besides raising most everything on the farm. The Depression of the 30's were a Gold Mine compared to the conditions we went through in the South. I remember a lot of different ones that would go North to work, then come home and go back, when they could get enough to live on. My daddy worked for .35 cents a day. Even at that they would not pay in cash -- you had to take something that was raised on the farm. Those big landowners worked you for nothing and they all were Democrats. The Republicans in the South were the poor people. All the Democrats that I ever saw as a child was those big landowners. You see, all of eastern Tennessee were on the Lincoln side of the war, and Sevier County was solid Republican, and practically all for the Union. So what I went through in Tennessee was ten times as bad as the Depression of the 30's.
But when we came to Washington I have never had a hungry day. Of course when I came to Washington all the northern states were Republicans. What I went through when I was a child and what Grandpa did to help preserve the Union is why I am 100% Republican. I believe in this Country and I love it -- no place in the World compares to it."
In turning back the pages of time, it is relatively easy to see why our entire family that spans across all time has remained steadfast Republicans. Not wanting to fail the memory of those that went before us and hanging on steadfastly to what we believe. It is important for me to remember that today we are the family members faced with much the same issues as my Great-Great-Grandfather did many years ago. They may laugh, mock, ridicule, and toss their stones but they are very wrong to think that we will go down without a fight. They are wrong to believe that we will stand by while our freedoms, our rights, our values, and our morals are being threatened and compromised by those who would try and take them from us. It is our right and our privilege to stand up and be heard even if they do not like what we have to say. For indeed, those who do this are no better than those who, "were shooting down the stars and the stripes and burning them, for they thought that they were going to win." There are many of us standing together and we won't settle for a defeat. Today, standing in the shadow of our heritage, we may appear to be only a small voice of one but understand that we represent many including the voices of our forefather's who fought for our right to be free. We also represent the voices of the future and we will not be the last of the generations to boldly speak out for what is right.
