Bandit and the Bushwhacker House: A Highland Tale of Courage

They say every farm has its secrets.

Some are harmless.

Some are forgotten.

And some… are still watching.

At Highland Dale, those secrets live near the creek, behind a line of crooked trees, in the shadow of an old house that time tried to erase.

And guarding them all… is Bandit.

The Young Guardian

Bandit isn’t your average farm steer.

Sure, he’s got a fluffy red coat, a golden tuft between his horns, and a stubborn streak wide as the Missouri River—but there’s something else. Something older behind his eyes.

He was born with it. A pull toward the past. He just knows he’s supposed to be there.

Some say he’s the guardian.

The House That Won’t Stay Quiet

The house stands alone now—burnt white boards, sagging porch, windows long since boarded shut.

But the stories?

Those are still wide open.

Bandit guards them all.

By day, he watches from the pasture, nose to the wind, ears twitching at every sound. By night, he makes his rounds—hooves quiet on the earth, eyes sharp as he patrols the grounds.

And when he’s not there in person, he watches the screens. Security cameras—installed to help protect the old house from break-ins—are now part of Bandit’s toolkit. He checks them often, like a general reviewing his battlefield.

Because even in this quiet corner of Highland Dale, Trouble (that's the name of the skunk) has a way of showing up.

And one of the stories Bandit guards goes like this...

The Night the Staircase Burned

It was the middle of the Civil War.The land was split—neighbors didn’t trust each other, and danger rode on horseback.

Gottlieb Frisch, the man who built the house, was known for his grain mill and his quiet strength.

One night, two outlaw brothers—John and Nathan Smith—broke into the house.

They wanted money. They wanted control. They wanted fear.

Frisch stood firm in the front hall, refusing to hand over a cent. So the brothers fired into the woodwork near the stairs.When that didn’t work...they lit the house on fire.

Smoke filled the rooms. Frisch gave in—just enough to save his home. The brothers took a small bag of coins and vanished into the night. The family put out the flames before they lost everything.

The scars are still there.

Bandit has seen them.

The End… and the Beginning

Bandit walks the property.

Because some places remember.

Some places whisper.

And some have a guardian.

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Editors note: This story is a work of fiction. While inspired by regional history and folklore, including references to historic figures and places, all characters, dialogue, and narrative elements in this publication are fictionalized or dramatized for storytelling purposes.

No claims are made to the accuracy or completeness of historical events as depicted here, and this content should not be interpreted as a factual retelling. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This story was AI-generated and developed by the Highland Dale creative team, drawing inspiration from the historical preservation work of journalist Dianne Peck, whose article “Guerrillas and Bushwhackers in Benton County” was published in the Benton County Enterprise on February 20, 2015. The article was discovered a decade later among the personal papers of Beauford Wilson, whose lifelong passion for history and learning helped spark this storytelling project.

We share these stories as part of a creative series called “Bandit's Guardianship of the Legends of Buffalo Creek”, intended to celebrate Missouri heritage through imaginative storytelling. No copyright infringement is intended. The content is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Benton County Enterprise, Dianne Peck, or any associated parties.

All rights to the fictional character “Bandit,” the “Bushwhacker House” storyline as presented here, and the surrounding narrative world belong to Highland Dale Farm and its creators.