Local: The Neighborhood Battlefield

Idea Prompt for 10/20/2009.

THE SOURCE: My youth.

WHAT WAS I THINKING… When I was a kid, I used to look out the window as we were driving the back roads of Southeastern Pennsylvania and think to myself, ‘This would be a great place for a battlefield.’

You see, I was a HUUUUUGE Civil War buff. Nothing happened in our neighborhood, but we lived just a couple hours from Gettysburg.

I have a vivid imagination and I could see battlefields wherever we drove. They got tired of hearing it, believe me.

IMAGINE…. your neighborhood was the site of a pitched battle.

…THE POSSIBILITIES:

I was fortunate, as I lived less than an hour away from an important battle of the Revolutionary War. But no matter where you live, there could have been a battle in some conflict.

You’ve got a choice of one of the many “Indian” wars, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Mexican War or a number of non-military actions like labor wars, range wars

THE EXERCISE: Tell a little tale about a battle that occurred in your neighborhood. What was the terrain like, and how did each side use it in their battle plans? What time of year did it happen? What was the weather like? Describe what your neighborhood looked like back then.

NOTE: If you’d like to develop these Ideas further, just leave a Comment and share your work.