Surviving the Civil War

1. Make 2 lists. In the first one, list ways in which people's ideas, beliefs, and activities were the same then as now. In the second, list ideas, beliefs and activities that are different from then.

   Same

   Different

   One similarity is that people write to friends and families serving in a war. Today the mail travels much quicker, and even soldiers that people don't know can be written to, to cheer them up or let them know we support them. Another similarity is that they did have newspapers. By my best estimate, they were similar to newspapers today in the way they are set up, but they probably lacked some of the sections in today's newspapers. I wasn't sure if I could count this as a similarity, but my next one is the use of the machine gun in the Civil War. This was the first war in which the machine gun was used. Today the machine gun is much more advanced. But it is still a useful weapon. A fourth similarity is that there are still busy cities and quiet farmlands. This was the same as in the story. Jethro had to travel about ten miles to get to town to buy things from the store. The fifth and final similarity I came up with is that most mail sent to the president of the US goes to people who help the president. The president himself could not personally answer all letters sent to him, the helpers show him letters he might find important. This is demonstrated by his letter to Jethro at the beginning, Abraham Lincoln said that Mr. Hay had brought to his attention the letter that Jethro wrote about what would happen to deserters, people who left the army. (If for some of the similarities you think I took some very obvious things, I did. I had skimmed through almost the entire book looking for things that were the same. After a while I started getting desperate, so I used the more obvious things. I'm glad I only needed five similarities. If I had needed more, one of them would probably been that in witner, nights were longer and days were shorter, just as they are today. PS - The last sentence was a joke.)

   One difference is that back then they had saloons. Although today we have bars and taverns, there are still some differences. Another difference is that water was drawn from wells by using a bucket. Today wellwater is drawn by pumps using power other than human power. A third difference is that coffee back then was bought in ten pound bags of unground coffee beans. Today we buy coffee usually ground in cans (averaging one to three pounds). It was probably bought in such large quantities to lessen the amount of times one would need to go buy more, stores could be a great distance from some farms. The next difference I came up with is trading goods for things needed. In the story, Jethro traded chickens for thread and calico for his siter, and mittens for himself. Today we mainly use money. My fifth and final difference is that in the war, the front lines fought almost face-to-face and used rifles. Today the front lines are often a distance apart, using tanks, missles, and bombs for attacking the other side. If the front lines get close enough, machine guns can prove valuable.

2. Make a chart showing five things which were used in the story but are not widely used today. Explain how each was used. (Example: chariot, buggy, ice box . . .)
   1. The first thing not commonly found today is a wooden sidewalk. These were covered or uncovered walkways found in a "large" town. (A large town back then might be small compared to today's standards.)
   2. The next thing not commonly found today is an iron woodburning stove. There is a door on the front where you put the wood in. These could be used for heat or to cook food, which was done on the top.
   3. A third thing not found today is a horse pulled wagon. The driver would sit in the front and handle the reins, and the passengers or cargo rode in the back.
   4. Another thing not found today is a horse pulled plow. The horse would be in front pulling, while the operator would be in back, managing the plow.
   5. One last thing not commonly found today is an oil burning lamp. A container would hold the oil (coal oil is used in the story). A wick is allowed to reach into the oil, and when lit, the oil would burn, but the wick would burn very little.
3. What historical event that occured in the course of your book would you have tried to change if you had been there? Why? (I was going to ask you if I could change the event like I was God. There were events that I wanted to change, but as Jethro, the main character, there would be nothing that I could do to change those events. I hope the way I did this is good enough).
   The event I decided to change was Tom Creighton's death. Tom, Jethro's brother, died at the Battle of Pittsburth Landing.
   The Battle of Pittsburg Landing took place on April 6-7, 1862. As described in the book, all of the Union's soldiers' spirits were high. But suddenly around breakfast time the Confederate soldiers started attacking. They were able to make it through the first day. Towards evening Gen. Buell's (Union) reinforcements came from across the Tennessee River. At seeing this, Tom and Dan Lawrence, a friend of his, became excited and danced around. Tom got hit by a Confederate bullet. He died quickly without suffering.
   (As I said before this, I am changing this story as though I am God. This paragraph won't be exactly how I changed it.)
   I had decided to change this event so that Tom wouldn't die. To do this, I would make Tom or his superior officers place him towards the back, not at the front lines. (I am assuming that Tom was at the front lines, this makes it easier to explain his death.) Being at the back, Tom would see little or no action, and when the reinforcements came, they would probably go toward the front. Thus, Thomas Creighton would probably survive the war.
   I chose to change this event because it scarred Jethro, his family, and friends. And although they may try to cover it up, this scar will never completely heal. I didn't want Jethro to have to go through the death of a loved one, at least not then.
   All of history would not be changed, but for Tom and his family, it will be. As a result of the change, Tom would survive the Battle of Pittsburg Landing and would come home after the war. He would be gladly received when he came home.
   Tom would then go on leading his life. He would work in his father's fields, and he might leave home and get married someday. He might even have children.
   As you can see, history, at least for Tom and his family, would be greatly changed if he did not die during the war.

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