Libertas

Breaking Dawn

Will the Battle of Gettysburg inaugurate a new era?

The North Has Been Attacked! An inside look at the first attack of the Confederates

July 12, 1863 10¢

Libertas J u l y 1 2 , 1 8 6 3

Headline

Vaishali Njampatnam

Special Feature

Jazz Baker

Interview

Jamison M. Sims

Editorial

Jazz Baker

Political Cartoon

Eriko Kato

Movie Review

Jamison M. Sims

Design/Editing

Eriko Kato

SOURCES:

http://www.charlestonscrealestate.us/images/stories/article/april12-13-1861.jpg

http://www.americanantiquarian.org/images/adopt/2011/dw09.jpg

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/gettysburg/union-breastwork-gettysburg.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Barlows_Knoll_after_first_day's_battl

e,_Gettysburg,_July_1,_1863.jpg

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=facts

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarbattles/p/cwbattle_getty.htm

History Textbook

Gorospe's Collection of primary sources

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contents

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Headline

The North Has

Been Attacked!

Special Feature

GETTYSBURG

Interview

with Lieutenant Reid Smythe

Editorial

Slavery

Political Cartoon

Movie Review

Shenandoah

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The North

Has Been

Attacked!

Our every own, Fort Sumter, has been bombed by the

uncivilized south. In Charleston, S.C., April 14, 1861,

our enemy General Pierre Beauregard, the Confederate

general, demanded the surrender of the fort. Our

leader Major Robert Anderson refused. At 4:30 a.m.

forty-three Confederate guns in a ring around Fort

Sumter began the bombardment that initiated the

bloodiest war in American history. Although the

bombardment lasted 34 hours, there were no

casualties. On April 14, Union troops evacuated the

fort. The Confederates permitted Anderson and his

command to leave with their weapons and their flag.

The evil stare and revenge look was on Anderson’s

face.

by Vaishali Nijampatnam

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n April 10, 1861, Brig.

Gen. Beauregard, in command

of the provisional Confederate

forces at Charleston, South

Carolina, demanded the

surrender of the Union garrison

of Fort Sumter in Charleston

Harbor. Garrison commander

Anderson refused. On April 12,

Confederate batteries opened

fire on the fort, which was

unable to reply effectively. At

2:30 pm, April 13, Major

Anderson surrendered Fort

Sumter, evacuating the

garrison on the following day.

The bombardment of Fort

Sumter was the opening

engagement of the American

Civil War. Although there were

no casualties during the

bombardment, one Union

artillerist was killed and three

wounded (one mortally) when a

cannon exploded prematurely

while firing a salute during the

evacuation on April 14.

Society was mostly under

the control of the upper classes

in both North and South, and

these two areas had very

different viewpoints. The North

was dominated by industry

which produced much of the

wealth in that region, while the

South was depending on the

production of cotton on

plantation farms that depended

on slavery. As the Northern

politicians became increasingly

insistent that slavery should be

repressed and abolished, the

South saw that as an

infringement on their rights

and their economic

livelihood. When South

Carolina became the first state

to succeed from the Union it

declared that the major reasons

were that the North refused to

return run-away slaves and

was working toward abolishing

slavery.

Increasingly, the

northerners became more

polarized against slavery.

Sympathies began to grow for

abolitionists and against

slavery and slaveholders. This

occurred especially after some

major events including: the

publishing of Harriet Beecher

Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, the

Dred Scott Case, John Brown's

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and the passage of the fugitive

slave act that held individuals

responsible for harboring

fugitive slaves even if they were

located in non-slave states.

Even though things were

already coming to a head, when

Lincoln was elected in 1860,

South Carolina issued its

"Declaration of the Causes of

Secession." They believed that

Lincoln was anti-slavery and in

favor of Northern interests.

Before Lincoln was even

president, seven states had

seceded from the Union: South

Carolina, Mississippi, Florida,

Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,

and Texas.

The South was upset

because the North had won

their battle. But the South was

childish and called war on its

own country. The Fort Sumter

will regain its power and the

North will defeat the South. We

the North need to support our

army and get rid of slavery.

Let’s never bring it back! We

need to fight the South and

win. We America will win and

the South will fail.

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n July 3, the 3 days-long battle ended at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It

is reported that more than 45,000 soldiers died, including the Confederates

and the Unions, and the number of deaths will increase.

What was the battle about, and who were the people who fought at this

remarkable battle?

O

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he Battle of

Gettysburg was fought on

July 1-3, 1863. The battle

took place in Gettysburg,

Pennsylvania. The

Confederacy was led by

General Robert E. Lee,

while the Union was

headed by Major General

George G. Meade. The

Union dominated the

Confederacy causing 28,000 causalities to them.

After General Robert E. Lee weakened the Union troops at

Chancellorsville, Virginia, he wanted to attack the Union once again. He took

his troops through Pennsylvania to load up on supplies to replenish then. The

Union, with a new commander, headed towards the north to stop them. Some

Confederate soldiers entered the town of Gettysburg to obtain more supplies,

and to their surprise the Union was

there.

On July 1, 1863, the

Confederates managed to push the

Union troops south of town to

Cemetery Hill. During the night,

more troops for both sides

appeared, causing this battle to

become more intense. On July 2nd,

the Union stretched its 90,000 man

army along the hills. Lee attempted

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to encircle the Federals,

first attacking the Union

left flank at the Peach

Orchard, Wheatfield,

Devil’s Den, and the

Round Tops with

Longstreet’s and Hill’s

divisions. Then, he

attacked the Union right

at Culp’s and East Cemetery Hills. By the end of the day, the Union held of the

Confederates, but the Confederates still gained some land.

On the 3rd day of the battle, the fighting remained on Culp’s Hill. There

was a major assault by 12,000-15,000

Confederates headed by General George

E. Pickett; this assault is known as

Pickett’s Charge. The Confederate troops

were welcomed by the fire of the Union

army causing several causalities.

The next day, General Robert E.

Lee removed his troops and headed back

towards Virginia. This marked a Victory

for the Union Army.

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by Jazz Baker

by Jamison M. Sims

T he tension between the north and south is growing tremendously. The

country is at war within itself. People are picking sides. We have an inside

exclusive interview with one soldier, Lieutenant Reid Smythe. He is a soldier

for the Union. He is twenty years old and is from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Libertas: Thank you for letting us to

get an inside look into your life.

Reid Smythe: No problem, I want

people to know how life really is for a

soldier.

Libertas: Why did you join up to fight

in this war?

Reid Smythe: Well, the issue of

slavery has always been close to my

heart. Growing up I use to live in

Alabama and I saw what slavery was

doing to everyone. My family used to

own a plantation but I hated seeing

the slaves suffer. So one day, I pack

my bags move to Worcester,

Massachusetts and joined the Union

Army.

Libertas: What was camp life like and

how did the army prepare you for

battle?

Reid Smythe: When I first started

training camp, I wanted to quit but I

remembered what goal I was fighting

for, the end of slavery. Drums were

used to announce the day’s activities.

I can still hear the sounds of the

drums in my head. Every day we had

marching and fighting drills to get

used to the formations and orders.

Discipline was very strict. You have to

be determined if you want to survive

camp.

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Libertas: What did you do when you

were not drilling for battle?

Reid Smythe: I always liked writing

letters and playing cards. I never got a

care package because my family

doesn’t support my decision to be in

the Union army. I also played a lot of

team sports like baseball. Even

though we weren’t supposed to have

pets, I had two pet chipmunks named

Alvin and Simon.

Libertas: What was the food like? Reid Smythe: We didn’t eat that well but I ate a lot of salted pork and biscuits or as I like to call them worm castles. Other food items I ate were rice, beans, dried fruit and potatoes. Sometimes if we were lucky, we had coffee. I was in a group where we would combine and share rations. Libertas: What kind of supplies did the army provide for you? Reid Smythe: All the soldiers were issued knapsack, haversack, three-pint canteen, all full with 3 days rations, rubber blanket, woolen blanket, shelter tent and other stuff. I also got accoutrements like a belt, cap pouch, bayonet scabbard, carriage box, and bayonet. We also had minié balls and Springfield rifle-musket. Those were so mint.

Libertas: What kind of care did the

wounded get?

Reid Smythe: I’ve never got badly

injured in the battles but it was a

slow process getting people from the

battlefields into the hospitals. Surgery

was performed with unwashed hands

and unclean instruments.

Amputation was done without pain

medicine. Since this is a family

magazine, I will not go on about this

matter.

… the issue of

slavery has

always been

close to my

heart.

”

“

Libertas: Did any of your friends

desert the army? What happened to

them?

Reid Smythe: None of my friends

deserted the army but I have heard

stories. My friend, John D. Billings

witnessed an execution by firing

squad of a soldier who had deserted

the Army many times and was

accused of telling the Confederates

information. He also witnessed two

different hangings. Hangings were

used for the more serious crimes.

Libertas: What battles have you

fought in?

Reid Smythe: I have fought in many

battles. One of the battles I fought in

was the Battle of Mill Springs. It was

in Mills Spring, Kentucky on Sunday,

January 12, 1862. Brigadier General

George Thomas received orders to

drive the Rebels across the

Cumberland River and break up

Major General George B. Crittenden’s

army. The Confederate attacked us

first but our counterattacks were

successful. We force them all the way

to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Another battle I’ve been in was Battle

of Pittsburg Landing in Tennessee or

as the rebels call it Battle of Shiloh. It

was on April 6 and April 7, 1862.

Confederate forces surprised attacked

us but we were able to hold off until

back up came. Then we launched a

counterattack. It was a very bloody

battle and I am lucky to be alive to tell

you about this.

Libertas: What were the battles like?

Reid Smythe: They were grueling.

Something new we used was trench

warfare. It was hard to see all the

people dying around me. At the end

we usually retreat if it gets too bad or

if we won we would take over that

place.

Libertas: What feelings did you

experience in battle?

Reid Smythe: Good question. In the

first couple of battles I fought in, I

was so overwhelmed. I wanted to

leave the army but I remembered the

stories John Billings was telling me. I

didn’t want to end up like the guy

who got executed by firing squad or

worse hanged. Seeing all these people

dying around me was very hard to

deal with. Gosh, I keep on saying

that. When you get your first victory

there is nothing like it. You remember

all the reasons you’re fighting for.

Libertas: Thank you again for giving

an inside look in to your life as a

soldier.

Reid Smythe: Anytime and I just

want to say to the people of Boston

thank you for supporting the Union in

this war. Let’s end slavery together!

Update: After this interview, Lieutenant Reid Smythe

died in the battle of Gettysburg nine days ago on

Friday, July 3, 1863.

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by Jazz Baker

S

L

A

The biggest discussion going on right now is the

issue of slavery. It has divided our nation into two halves.

Northerners are against slavery, while Southerners are for

slavery. I agree with Northerners.

One reason Northerners are against slavery is

because slaves are treated poorly. According to Fredrick

Douglass, a former slave, “They were whipped for over-

sleeping more than for any other fault...The overseer

stood at the quarter door, armed with stick and whip,

ready to deal heavy blows upon any who might be a little

behind time.....” They are beaten for unnecessary

reasons. They are also clothed and fed very poorly. Slaves

aren’t treated as people, as property.

Lastly, the North is against slavery because we

don’t rely on slaves for profit. The north is very

industrialized, meaning we use less people to produce the

goods we need. Southerners use slaves to pick cotton,

and do other strenuous activities that they are too lazy to

do themselves. We, the superior north, have huge

machines that take less people to work. Slaves aren’t a

use to us, so they deserve the right to be free.

A possible solution to this problem is to

industrialize the south. Once they have become

industrialized, they will have no need for slaves and they

will be set free. Another possible solution is to ban

slavery. Once it is banned, slave-owners will have no

choice but to give them up or go to jail. And to them jail is

not an option.

Editorial

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The

Winfield Anaconda

This Week’s

Political Cartoon…

by Eriko Kato

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Jamison’s

MOVIEREVIEW

Hello, people of Boston. My

Delorean just broke down and I’m

stuck in the year 1863. I am not

Marty Mcfly if you’re wondering.

I’m from the year 2012. I know

the Civil War is going on but I

don’t know much about it. We

are learning about it in history

class but I watched a movie

called Shenandoah to learn more.

I forgot that you guys don’t know

what movies are. A movie is like a

play but is recorded and you can

watch it anytime you like. Well

this movie is about a farmer from

Shenandoah, Virginia. He doesn’t

want to get involved in the war.

Today’s Movie:

Shenandoah

want to get involved in the war.

He isn’t for the Union and he isn’t

for the Confederate. One day his

son is mistaken for a Confederate

soldier and is taken to a prison

camp. Want to know what

happens next? Watch it a

hundred and two years from now,

when it comes out in 1965. The

acting is average. James Stewart

has some amazing acting. I give

this two thumbs up. At first you

want to go to sleep but since you

all have never seen a movie

before you will love this. All in all,

it is a great civil war movie but I

rather be watching Back to the

Future Part 2. If a person of a

modern time is reading this, I

advise you to go watch it too. I

think my flux capacitor is

starting to work. Goodbye, people

of the year 1863. I’m late for the

new episode of Glee.

–Jamison M. Sims

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