Making kids think about the Civil War

[Tamaroa]

One of the things that has bothered me for many years is the lack of teaching about the Civil War in schools. As a youngster I went to a Navy miltiary school, so studying history was a big deal.

I have an employee who is essentially a good kid but shows very little knowledge about the country, constitution, etc. One day I had some fun with him. He requested a day off. I told him that he could have the day off, if he could tell me what the most famous right turn in American history was. (Some of you probably already know where this is going ) . Well he looked at me with a completely blank stare. "You've got to be kidding," he said. "Nope," I said, "give me the answer or no day off" (I was pulling his leg, but he didn't know that) He knows I'm a Civil War buff so he was grabbing at at straws in thin air. So I gave him another hint. "A dust covered man on a dust covered horse".

He still didn't get it. I was trying to make him think so I then asked of all the Generals who fought against Lee, who was the most successful? He finally got Grant after a few more hints.

Then I told him lets go back to the dust covered man on a dust covered horse and talk about Spotsylvania. You would not believe the number of hints I gave him until he caught on that the "right turn" was the one Grant made after Spotsylvania to continue pursuit of Bobby Lee. It signified that the Army of the Pottomac would not turn back this time.

At any rate, he got the day off and he is boning up on Civil War history. He told a new employee that he'd better know his history or he gets no time off from me.

Granted that the question was a bit on the esoteric side, but the fact that I had to keep giving hints till he got Grant kind of bothered me. If they don't know where this nation has been, how are these kids, our future generation going to know where to take it?

Bill