Quick wits saved the day during Civil War battle

To the editor:

War is war, whether it is large and lasting or a number of smaller ones -- if any battle can be termed small.

Such was the feeling of my great-grandmother, Kathryn Doll, when, back in the 1800s, thanks to her quick thinking, right response and will of God, she lived through one of the smaller Civil War battles that was fought in the Hanover community of Cape Girardeau.

My mother would remind my twin sister and me of the horrors and destruction my great-grandmother faced, leaving a scar never to be erased. Those words still remain vivid.

My great-grandmother's frantic words were, "We are being attacked." Shooting and screaming were heard. Pounding on the door was that of a soldier asking, "What side are you on?" Quick thinking brought this response: "I am on the same side you are." This response saved her from being shot.

My great-grandmother's home was looted, and all the food was taken. A sharp mind on the part of my great-grandmother helped to save one chicken that she quickly slipped under her long, full black skirt until the soldier left.

PAULA E. KEMPE

Cape Girardeau