Assignment:
Part. 1: Sherman's Special Field Order 120
Background: General W.T. Sherman gave his troops Special Field Order 120 before his famous March to the Sea. Below you will find sections four-seven of that order.
Instructions:
1. Read through the excerpt from Sherman's Special Field Order 120.
Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, In the Field, Kingston, Georgia, November 9, 1864
2. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. To this end, each brigade commander will organize a good and sufficient foraging party, under the command of one or more discreet officers, who will gather, near the route traveled, corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, corn-meal, or whatever is needed by the command, aiming at all times to keep in the wagons at least ten day's provisions for the command and three days' forage. Soldiers must not enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, or commit any trespass, but during a halt or a camp they may be permitted to gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and to drive in stock of their camp. To regular foraging parties must be instructed the gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road traveled.
3. To army corps commanders alone is entrusted the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, &c., and for them this general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested no destruction of such property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless according to the measure of such hostility.
4. As for horses, mules, wagons, &c., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit, discriminating, however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor or industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Foraging parties may also take mules or horses to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or bridges. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language, and may, where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts, and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portion for their maintenance.
5. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the several columns may be taken along, but each army commander will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very important one and that his first duty is to see to them who bear arms.
- William T. Sherman, Military Division of the Mississippi Special Field Order 120, November 9, 1864
2. Answer the questions in the grid.
QUESTIONS :
1. Vocabulary: Use textual evidence and define discreet as used in this document.
2. Vocabulary: Use textual evidence and define unmolestedas used in this document.
3. Phrase: Use textual evidence and explain the use of reasonable portion for their maintenance as used in this document.
4. Evaluation: Read the lines highlighted in yellow. What factors do you deduce might have influenced an army commander's severity of enforcement to this statement?
5. Analysis: Analyze the statement highlighted in blue,i.e. Why would Sherman have made this statement differing between the wealthy and poor? Does this statement show a prejudice, or pre-conceived notion on his part?
Part. 2: Gettysburg Address
Background: President Lincoln wrote down five different versions of the Gettysburg Address. The versions are similar and it is unknown what is exact words were on that day in Gettysburg. He wrote the different versions for people who asked for a copy and for charitable purposes. The following is a transcript of the John Nicolay copy. Nicolay was one of Mr. Lincoln's' private secretaries.
Instructions:
1. Read the Gettysburg Address
Transcript of Gettysburg Address (1863)
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal."
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow, this ground - The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while in can never forget what they did here. It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
President Abraham Lincoln
2. Answer the questions.
QUESTION :
Use textual clues to define score.
Use textual clues to define propriety.
Use textual clues to define consecrate.
Use textual clues to define vain.
Notice that Mr. Lincoln uses the word "nation" repeatedly, but never uses the word "union." Assess why Mr. Lincoln used the word nation instead of union.
Slavery is not mentioned in the Gettysburg Address. Determine why Mr. Lincoln didn't use the word slavery. How is slavery implied in his speech?
President Lincoln dates the nation's birth at the Declaration of Independence. Judge why he used that event rather than the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
What is the great task remaining before us?
Analyze the methods President Lincoln used to emphasize his key points in this address.
President Lincoln was disappointed in his speech at the time he gave it. Also the listeners were disappointed in a two-minute speech. Given that disappointment; how do you believe this became the best loved speech of any American president?
part. 3: Field Women
Instructions:
1. Review the poem: "The Women Who Went to the Field" by Clara Barton.
2. Answer the questions in the grid. Use quotations from the poem in some of your answers. Make certain to place quotation marks around those quotations.
Questions :
1.What would have made Clara Barton uniquely qualified to compose this poem?
2. What would you judge motivated Ms. Barton's opening that culminates with the line "That the place for the women was in their homes."
3. What purpose did listing the names of ‘Women Who Went to the Field" serve?
4. How does Ms. Barton answer her own question "And what would they do if war came again?"
5. What is the central idea of the poem?
Part. 4: Morrill Act and Auburn
Answer the questions in the grid. You may look at the links https://www.alabamamoments.alabama.gov/sec23.html and https://www.auburn.edu/outreach/morrillact/documents/MorrillAct_Timeline_Auburn.pdf
Questions :
1. The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress during the Civil War. Why did the state of Alabama wait until 1872 to take advantage of the Morrill Act?
2. Why did the Morrill Act endowments to the states vary in size?
3. How did the Morrill Act aid *animal husbandry in Alabama(include events from the timeline that impacted veterinary medicine)? (*kind of farming in which people raise animals for meat, milk, eggs, etc.)
4. Name three ways in which Auburn University and the Morrill Act helped in the development of media and communications in the state of Alabama (include events from the timeline that impacted radio, public television, and internet).
5. Evaluate the worth of the Morrill Act to higher education in the United States.