Day 158 Civil War Trip

April 20, 2012 Day 158 Civil War Trip

Read: The Civil War: An Interactive History Adventure by Matt Doeden

Write summary:

This book was an interactive adventure through the Civil War. I chose to fight in Gettysburg with the Union first. I chose to be on Little Round Top with Joshua Chamberlain. I got shot twice in the leg but didn’t die, I saw Joshua Chamberlain get threatened by a confederate soldier during a bayonet charge. I stopped the man and he shot me. After that I chose to go to Chancellorsville and fight with the Confederate army.  I was with Stonewall Jackson protecting him, although he got shot in the arm and hand by his own men at Chancellorsville so I got “fired” I didn’t die though. Then I chose to be a citizen during the siege of Vicksburg, I lived throughout the siege but my two children and husband died and I came down with Pneumonia.

Think about the Civil War history part of our trip (think in general) and complete work: CIVIL WAR TRIP PROJECT

6 Facts & Details

1. Most of the major civil war battles were fought in the south and mostly Virginia except for Gettysburg.

2. In Gettysburg we saw 301 real cannons and 70 replica cannons. We knew when a cannon was real because they were made out of copper and the copper was starting to turn teal, and the replica cannons were painted to look copper and weren’t teal. On the real cannons there was writing stamped on the barrel.

3. In Fredericksburg, we learned that there was a road in between each army, called the Sunken road, On one side of the road was a hill with banks were the confederate army was, and the other side a stone wall and a very small hill were the Union side was, in this battle the confederates had the defensive position.

4. In one building in Gettysburg we saw a cannonball stuck in the side of it.

5. In Gettysburg our guide told us a story of a woman named Mary Walker who disguised herself as a man so she could be the doctor.

6. My favorite battle site and second favorite part of the whole trip was Gettysburg

6 Pictures

Lily overlooking the field of the first day of battle

Oneof the original cannons

School with artillery shell near top window

Mounument for the 20th Maine

Fragment of actual Gettysburg cannon ball

Guide Jim telling us about Pickett's Charge and final hours of battle

These guys were hapy to meet someone from Chamberlain's hometown!

Sophie looking out from Round Top

6 Sentences

1. My favorite battle of the Civil war was Gettysburg because it was so interesting and decisive.

2. In general, on my trip I learned that the Civil war was very important to our country's future but was kind of silly because our country was fighting against itself which (I think) had never happened before.

3. When we were driving from battle field to battle field it took a long time, about a day, we were all thinking about how the armies had to march all this land and how slow and how long it would take them to get to the battle field, and then they would have to fight for hours.

4. I thought that if they had fought more battles in the north, the Union would have been more confident and would have won more of the battles just like Gettysburg, but it was fine since the North won the war!

5. I never had thought about how in Gettysburg and other battle sites that the men were fighting in peoples front yards and the town citizens had to stay in their basements without any food or water until the battle was over.

6. I also have never thought about how all of the men who died were just left behind and the citizens of the town were left in the stench and mess of thousands of dead bodies in their town.

6 Reflections/Thoughts

1. I thought that it was definitely easier to learn about the battle of Gettysburg and Fredericksburg when I was there because I really understood where everyone was and what their plan was

2. I thought it was a good decision that Lee made after the battle of Vicksburg to surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse

3. There were a lot of General on both armies that it is sometimes hard to keep track of them;  my favorite general was General Ulysses S. Grant on the Union side.

4. I thought that the Civil war is very interesting to learn about because there are a lot of cool facts and details that happen through every battle.

5. I wondered if America was the first country to have a Civil war, I looked it up online and asked mom but I couldn’t find the answer; I found that it was, but Britain says that they had a civil war which was our American Revolution, although England was America’s mother country at the time.

6. I thought it was cool to hear the entire story’s about the Animals on and near the battlefield and what they did to help.

 6 Things to Prepare/ Plan to visit National Battlefield sites

1. I think it is a good idea to learn about the battlefields by going online and checking out their website and planning where you are going to go and what you are going to do

2. On the website look at the times for special events, movies, or reenactments to make your visit extra special.  

3. Bring your camera and make sure it’s charged because there will probably be a lot of interesting artifacts and statues.

4. I would suggest reading a little bit about the battlefield you are going to visit, I thought it helped to know a little bit about Gettysburg before I went there so I could learn but still know a few details.

5. If you like to send postcards from Battlefields, you should get your friends and families addresses

6. Always bring good walking shoes to battlefields because most of the park is outdoors

6 Important People *write what you know, what you learned—don’t look them up & don’t worry if you know more about some and little about others—just write what you know about each*

1. Joshua Chamberlain: The colonel for the 20^th Maine regiment. He was from Brunswick Maine and was a professor at Bowdoin College. He fought and led the Maine regiment on Little Round top at Gettysburg, and is an American Hero.

2. Gen. Lee: The Major General of the Confederate Army, refused the opportunity to lead the Union, surrendered to Grant at the end of the Civil War at Appomattox  

3. Gen. Meade: The General of the Union army at Gettysburg and since. From Pennsylvania

4. Gen. Grant: Ulysses S. Grant was the General at Vicksburg for the Union army and led the siege, the one who Lee surrendered to at the end.

5. Gen. Sherman: A Union General who burned Atlanta and most of the South at the end of the civil war

6. Stonewall Jackson: A Confederate General who led Antietam, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Chancellorsville but got shot in the woods by his own men and died later of pneumonia.