Sometimes it's the small things

Working where I work, I run into little bits of History every day. 

Some times it is easy to see the historical significance of an item; like Hitlers Chair, Mussolinis' wool coat or a weapon used by a famous outlaw. 

But sometimes the significance is hidden. 

Such as this cavalry spur.  

It was in a lot of other stuff- non horse related, in a manilla envelope marked, "Important Spur".

Of course I had to peek. 

I found an English type spur, brass colored with a broken and rusted rowel. 

I closed the envelope and went back to work.

But I kept thinking about that spur. I had to look again. 

I took it out of the envelope, setting it on the table.

It seemed unimportant at first glance. 

Attached to the side of the item was a small typed note: 

" Confederate Cavalry soldier's spur. Killed in the Battle of Gettysburg."

I thought about that for awhile. 

This spur, this one lonesome little item, was a battle scarred veteran of The War Between The States. 

Some young man had strapped this spur to his boot and ridden into  battle.  

 This spur had touched the hide of a war horse, urging it into a charge.

This spur, with its rusted and bent rowel had lain on the bloody Gettysburg field.

 The battle had lasted three hot days in July.

 So many men were killed, horses too.

As I held this spur, images flitted through my mind, heroic and horrific. 

One little brass spur. 

Still here. 

Still with a story to tell. 

Who will listen?