The History Jumper

                                                            The History Jumper

                                                                Suzanne Marsh

    His name is Kent McMaster, he is a Professor of History teaching at William and Mary College. He is a very unusual man; he has a super power to change history by jumping into the past. On his desk sits a blue stone, oval in shape. It is the only decoration on his desk. Today he has an appointment with one of his students, Jenny Long. She is a student who plans to major in American History. He cannot imagine why this young woman would make an appointment; she is an outstanding student. He is not what women call handsome; he is six feet five inches angular in appearance. He opens his brief case, and begins to grade papers.

           Promptly at two o'clock, there is a quiet knock on his door. He says quietly: “come”, Jenny Long enters. She is a pretty girl, with azure blue eyes, slim about five foot. She has a determined look in those azure blue eyes. In her hand she has a small brief case. She enters the room.

           “Jenny, this obviously is not about your grades, what is it you require?”

           “Professor, my family name was shortened it is actually Longstreet. I am a direct

            descendent of General James P. Longstreet. I have acquired papers from my grandmother's

            attic. They were in a traveling truck belonging to General Longstreet.”

He motions for her to hand over the papers. He glances at them. He notes a small piece of paper, from an Order Book, on it is written: 'General Longstreet is not responsible for Pickett's attack failing, I,

General Robert E. Less CSA am responsible for this debacle.'  His hand trembles as he reads this.

           “Jenny, how can I help you? I am a professor of history and this is very interesting.”

           “Professor, I have heard rumors that you can go back through time and using facts can

            change the outcome of historical events.”

Kent McMaster, frowns:

           “Jenny, I can't alter the Civil War, if that is what you are asking.”

           “I don't expect you to do that, professor, I just want to alter Pickett's Charge and clear

            the General of any wrong doing.”

She notices the blue oval stone, picking it up from his desk. The two of them find themselves hurling through time and landing abruptly on the hard ground of Gettysburg on the Emmitsburg Road. They brush themselves off. They make their way into the town of Gettysburg, where they purchase clothing. The store keeper is to busy closing to notice their apparel. They hurry toward the sound of cannon fire. Horses whinny frantically as they pull caissons as they move cannons from one battle area to another. Dead bodies from both sides lay all over the area. Jenny holds the professor's hand trembling at the sights. 

           Their plan is to find General Longstreet before General Lee formulates Pickett's Charge. They know General Longstreet has argued from the beginning that the Confederates should not be there. Lee is adamant they are there and they will fight. Lee, on the second day of battle wants the round tops taken. Longstreet, stands tall in his gray uniform, a cigar in his mouth talking to Robert E. Lee. Longstreet is pointing out that they are losing ground, the army needs to leave or it will be decimated. Lee, gives Longstreet a fatherly pat on the shoulder, shows him his objective the two round tops. No one is up there as of yet. Longstreet argues the army should not be there at all. Lee, has made up his mind. 

           The second day of battle Longstreet once again argues that they cannot win this battle. Lee, orders him to take the two round tops. Hood's division fights to gain the Devil's Den, it has changed hands several times. Hood is wounded, he loses the use of his arm. Jenny and Kent walk along the Emmitsburg Road, there they see Confederates wounded, and dying. Jenny, feels ill as she stares at the maimed men. Bones protruding from skin, wounds to the head. She sees General Longstreet enter a white barn. She follows before Kent can stop her. She stops short as she listens to the conversation between General Old Pete Longstreet and General John Bell (Sam) Hood:

           “You should have let me go to the left, if I could have taken that big hill, we might have stood

             a chance of winning Pete. Did we take those rocky hills?”

Longstreet casts his graze downward and lies:

           “we took most of them Sam.”

           “Worst ground I ever saw Pete, worst ground. Devil's Den they called it, that suits it.”

Longstreet holds Hood's hand for several moments. Jenny does not want to intrude on the moment. She exits before Longstreet notices her. She sees Kent standing talking to one of the wounded men from Hood's division. She walks over to Kent. He takes her hand; they walk toward the road. 

           “Did you see General Longstreet?”

           “Yes, but I did not wish to intrude, he was talking to General John Bell Hood.”

           “Jenny, we are going to have to try again first thing in the morning. I don't think

            there is much we can do except watch Pickett's Charge play out however, we can try.”

Jenny nods her head, she knows she can't change the charge or history, but what Kent said

that she could prove General Longstreet's culpability was false. That would be the only solution that would satisfy her.

           The morning of the July 3, 1863 began hot and humid, worse than Virginia. Longstreet, rode out to meet General Robert E. Lee. Kent and Jenny had seen his tall figure on Hero. Jenny thought he was magnificent as he argued once again with General Robert E. Lee. Kent and Jenny ventured closer, to listen to the conversation:

           “General Lee, you know me, you know my service, I have come up through the ranks. No

            15,000 men can take that wall.”

Lee looks disapproving at Longstreet:

           “we will win, with my Old War Horse leading the men.”

Too late, to talk to General Longstreet, Jenny and Kent walk brusquely toward town. Jenny asks Kent if they can stay until after the battle before going back to the twenty first century.

           “We can stay Jenny, but what good is that going to do? We now know that General Longstreet

            was innocent of being the man responsible for losing the Battle of Gettysburg.”

Just as Kent got those last three words out the cannons began booming, clouds of smoke, the stench of sulfur begin to drift their way. They seek cover. Pickett's Charge has begun. Jenny, turns to Kent, there are tears trickling down her cheeks, as she thinks of all the horror, she has seen in the past two days. She knows there is nothing that she can do. Kent takes her hand as he begins:

           “Jenny, you saw General Longstreet, you heard him speaking to General Lee. There is

            nothing more to do. Now let's go home.”