A common 'story' about the origin of
Taps was that a Union officer came across a battlefield littered with soldiers. His detail set out to bury them. He was horrified to come across the remains of his own son. A son he had sent to a southern music school, and whom he thought was still safely there. His son had left school and joined the Confederates. In his pocket they found a scrap of paper with the famous notes hastily scribbled on it. The officer asked if he could bury his son with full military honors on the Union side, and then got permission to have the bugler play the music from his son's pocket during the ceremony. It was a haunting tune, easy to pick up. It became famous. Whether this story is true or not, it's somber notes match my mood as we lay our Civil War Unit to rest.
How very,
very sad.
We will miss it.
The Battle of the Ironclads was Pal's favorite day.
He and Maddie made the Monitor, Calder made the Merrimack.
Calder's favorite day was re-enacting the Battle of Vicksburg, and trying to figure out how Grant was able to capture it. They came close in their guesses, but were never quite spot on. (Thus the reason he doesn't have the middle name Ulysses; we'll hold out hope Hydn is more deserving of his namesake.)
My favorite part of this unit was re-learning about the different generals for both the North and the South, and their biographies. I like it because it's an activity that carries on over a period of eight weeks.
While discussing General Lee we learned exactness and manners -
Although Lee didn't receive any demerits at West Point Military Academy, because his manners were impeccable, others of us weren't so talented.
We had a 'snail' race on the day we learned about General McClellan. I don't have much to say about him. He disgusts me. -Abraham Lincoln was a little more diplomatic when speaking of him,"
If you don't want to
use the Army I should like to
borrow it for a while."
We ate lemons and onions, and laid under a cold wet sheet to remember Stonewall Jackson and some of his idiosyncrasies - he's one of my favorites.
We did handsprings for Farragut- Farragut who was considered 'old' said he would always be 'young' until the day he couldn't do a handspring on his birthday anymore. It doesn't say the year he finally had to quit. If he's like me, I'm guessing it was 30. And who doesn't like learning where the famous quote, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" comes from? It's so much fun to say.
We drew pictures to send home like William Tecumseh Sherman. Did you know his father died when he was around nine, forcing his mother to give some of her children up for adoption at that time? I think he learned things like 'getting it done' and 'no nonsense' from her.
And we learned about fifteen other generals as well. Did you know Longstreet was Grant's best man? Did you know he was an outcast after the war? He couldn't live in the North because he was such a famous general for the South. He couldn't live comfortably in the South, because he supported Grant's bid for the presidency and stumped for him. His place was suspiciously burned 24 years to the date of Lee's surrender at Appomattox (along with most of his memoirs). Did you also know that he and Pickett were best of friends? They carried the colors together in the Mexican American War. He was the one that had to give orders to Pickett to start the dreadful charge at Gettysburg. He was so upset about it he couldn't give the order when it came. He just bowed his head. Pickett realized that meant it was probably time. Longstreet's first wife died, but his second wife lived until 1962! Kind of brings history to your back door doesn't it?
We also assigned a muscle memory to each general.
I was able to purchase a deck of civil war cards with a picture of different generals on each card.
When I flashed a card, whoever could give me their sign first, won a
Necco - we're a high stake kind of family... (candies that were popular during the Civil War).
We also enjoyed using the playing deck for slap jack.
We haven't finished our 'Safe Quilt' for the Underground Railroad yet, but it's on the list.
Maddie enjoyed our last day. Although the Civil War was over, Lee had surrendered on Palm Sunday, and Lincoln died on Good Friday (thought provoking little detail, don't you think?) the war wasn't over in many hearts and minds. In some instances, even in battle.
The story of the Lee(not to be confused with Robert E. Lee)-Peacock Feud in northeast Texas where 200+ people were murdered in the following three years of the war was a fun little treasure to find. It was perfect for ending our unit as we discussed reconstruction. -I've noticed that I get a lot of 'help' with home school. A lot of things I just happen to stumble across. 'Help' usually comes after a discouraged plea in the form of a prayer. I love it when that happens, and this was one of them. -Peacock was in charge of reconstruction in north Texas and his headquarters were about forty miles from our house. Lee did not agree with the offensive way Peacock enforced it. He became a 'Robin Hood' of sorts. It ended badly for all involved. We had a great day discussing the end of the war as we drove down to find the old graveyard where many of the key players were buried. We had to ask for directions on the way. I was surprised by the answers. The younger people would lift their brows confusedly and say, "What? Who?" The older people would lift their brows suspiciously and say, "Are you a Lee or Peacock man?" I never knew the safe answer. Obviously there are still strong feelings running about. In fact, I heard later that at local sporting events Peacock people sit in one section, Lee people in another. I'm thinking if this is true, and they are going to continue with the feud, they should at least fill in some of the younger people we asked directions from. Kind of give them a heads up to why they hate the so-and
so's.
It would only be fair.
When we finally found it we had a scavenger hunt. First one to find two of the top three central characters (Pierce and Peacock), would win their own roll of
Necco's.
In our wandering we got distracted by a little abandoned church and merry go round. I tried to get a better picture but they were too blurred with images of children flying off in various directions. We'll settle for the happy one at the beginning.
The end.
Or almost.
Calder is still working on his memorization of "Captain, Oh My Captain!" He likes to memorize by music. He found that the words fit perfectly to the tune of "Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall" -and in the process has forever ruined it for me. It's hard to feel the depth of meaning after something like that.
We also are planning a field trip -someday- to Vicksburg. They have an Ironclad ship there they have pulled up from the bottom of the Mississippi and reconstructed. I can't wait. Just can't wait.
But I'll have to do a lot of waiting after that, because it'll be at least another eight years before I have an excuse to play these games again...
Bummer. I could definitely use a bugler at the moment.
But this is the reality
