Pvt Eli Harper (1st Michigan Cavalry)

[TedderBear]

 

Eli Harper

• Birth Date: July 3, 1842
• Birth Location: Lansing, Michigan

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Attributes:

• Attack: 1
  • Eager and willing but lacks experience in aggressive tactics.
• Defend: 2
  • Shows steady resolve and a natural ability to follow defensive orders.
• Logistics: 1
  • Limited exposure to strategic planning but a quick learner.

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Biography:

Eli Harper was born in the burgeoning city of Lansing, Michigan, to a family of farmers. Growing up amidst the hard labor of his family’s modest farm, Eli learned the values of discipline, perseverance, and loyalty. Though life on the farm was demanding, he found time to dream of life beyond the fields, inspired by stories of frontier adventure and heroism from his father, a veteran of the Mexican-American War.

When the call for Union volunteers came in early 1861, 19-year-old Eli felt a sense of duty to defend his country and preserve the Union. Leaving behind his family and the fields he had worked his entire life, he enlisted in the 1st Michigan Cavalry. Eli quickly gained the respect of his fellow soldiers for his strong work ethic, reliability, and willingness to adapt to the challenges of military life.

As of June 1, 1861, Eli serves as a private in Colonel Alexander Cole’s (@Mikey) regiment, striving to learn and grow under the leadership of his commanding officers. Though young and inexperienced, his quiet determination and natural camaraderie with his peers have already marked him as a dependable soldier. Eli dreams of proving himself on the battlefield, bringing honor to his family and the state of Michigan.

[TedderBear]

May 15, 1861
Camp Outside Saginaw, Michigan

Today, I traded my plow for a saber. I suppose that sounds dramatic, but it feels like the truth. Just last week, I was planting rows of corn alongside Pa, watching the spring sun rise over our fields. Now I’m here, surrounded by men in blue uniforms, learning how to ride and fight as a soldier in the 1st Michigan Cavalry. It still feels like a dream, or maybe a nightmare—I can’t quite decide.

They say we’re fighting to save the Union, to stop the South from tearing this country apart. I believe in that. I’ve heard Pa talk about what it meant to serve in the Mexican War, how he felt like he was part of something bigger than himself. I want to feel that too. But right now, all I feel is sore from drills and nervous about what’s to come.

Colonel Cole gave a speech this morning. He’s a young man—much younger than I imagined a colonel would be—but he carries himself with such confidence that you can’t help but feel inspired. He said we’re not just soldiers; we’re the defenders of freedom and unity. I don’t know about all that. I’m just Eli Harper, a farmhand from Lansing who’s trying not to fall off his horse during training.

The other men in my company are a mix of city boys from Detroit and country folks like me. There’s Samuel Pritchard, a blacksmith with hands like iron, and young Tommy Finch, who can calm any horse with just a whisper. Then there’s Red Harrington, who’s quick with a joke and even quicker with his temper. We’re all different, but we’re learning to ride, shoot, and fight together. It’s strange to think we’ll rely on one another with our lives soon enough.

I miss home already. Ma packed me a bundle of biscuits and jerky, and I’ve been rationing them out like treasure. Pa gave me his old pocketknife, the one he carried through his war. He said it brought him luck, and I’ll need all the luck I can get.

Tomorrow, we ride out to practice formations again. My horse, Daisy, is patient with me, but I’m no natural cavalryman. I’ll get there, though. I have to. The Colonel said this war will test us, break some of us, and make others stronger. I don’t know yet which I’ll be, but I hope I can do right by my family, my state, and the Union.

For now, all I can do is hold on to my courage and keep learning. They say the hardest battles are still ahead, but I’ll face them one day at a time.

- Eli Harper

 

((Players mentioned: @Mikey))

[TedderBear]

May 31, 1861
Camp Outside Saginaw, Michigan

The air feels different tonight. It’s heavy with anticipation, thick with the smell of horses and campfires. We’ve been here for weeks now, drilling from dawn to dusk, and it seems the day we’ve all been waiting for is finally upon us. Tomorrow, Colonel Cole will address the regiment and announce our orders. The 1st Michigan Cavalry is no longer just a collection of green recruits—we’re a regiment, ready to ride wherever the Union calls us. At least, that’s what they say. Deep down, I wonder if I’m ready at all.

The drills have grown more grueling as the days wore on, but something shifted this week. Captain Miller, who rarely has a kind word to spare, actually nodded at me during sword practice yesterday. Daisy, my horse, no longer flinches at my clumsy commands. The men around me, once strangers, now feel like brothers. Red Harrington’s endless jests no longer irritate me, and Samuel Pritchard and I have taken to sharing our rations after evening muster. Even Tommy Finch, who’s still just a boy, seems to have grown taller and steadier in his saddle.

Still, I can’t shake this gnawing unease. Will I be brave when the time comes? Will I fight as Pa did in his war, or will fear take hold of me? The stories I’ve heard from veterans—the horrors of the battlefield—play in my mind when I lie awake at night. I keep Pa’s pocketknife close, turning it over and over in my hands, as if the weight of it might anchor my thoughts. He carried it through countless skirmishes, and he came home. Maybe it will bring me the same luck.

Rumors are flying through the camp like wildfire. Some say we’ll be sent to defend Washington; others swear we’ll be chasing rebels in Virginia. A few even whisper about Missouri, where the fighting is said to be bitter and chaotic. Wherever we go, I know this much: it will be far from Lansing, far from the fields I called home. Ma’s last letter came three days ago. She asked if I was eating well and reminded me to pray every night. I’ve been trying, though my prayers feel clumsy and uncertain. Mostly, I ask for the strength to make her proud.

Tonight, the camp is alive with speculation and nervous laughter. Red has started a small poker game by the fire, and Samuel is busy polishing his tack as if the shine on his saddle might make a difference in battle. As for me, I’m writing by the light of a dim lantern, hoping these words will still make sense when I read them in the future. I want to remember this moment—the calm before the storm, the feeling of not knowing what’s to come.

The Colonel’s speech tomorrow will set the course for our regiment, for my life. I don’t know if I’ll rise to the occasion, but I know I can’t turn back now. Whatever the Union asks of me, I’ll give it. It’s all I can do.

- Eli Harper

 

((Players mentioned: @Mikey))