My Name Is America: Journal of Rufus Rowe, Witness to the Battle of Fredricksburg

by Sid Hite

Book Overview

Acclaimed author Sid Hite brings the drama of the Civil War to life through the eyes of Rufus Rowe, a Confederate boy. Sixteen-year-old Rufus Rowe runs away from home, to escape his cruel stepfather.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439353645
• ISBN13: 9780439353649
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 9 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9

Customer Reviews

Death and carnage at Stonewall

The journal of Rufus Rowe brings the reader into the mind of a young 16-year boy. Rufus witness the horror of war: "I shall never forget the smell of gun power" and "broken windows, furniture in the streets, and houses on fire" and "defeat in war means loss and victory in war means loss". Rufus patriotism and love Fredricksburg and Virginia was replaced by the burdens of carnage, death, and suffering. Rufus felt and witness the raw carnage of war; the dead horses, the deafening boom of cannon and gun fire, the exhaustion and hunger, soldiers stripping clothes and items off dead soldiers, truces agreed upon too bury the dead, the illogical carnage that resulted from Yankees charging stonewall. Rufus discovered Soldiers consume massive amounts of pork, beans, and gruel. All of Rufus's chickens were stolen. Food became scarce. The battle of Fredricksburg favored the confederates even though the Yankees number 115,000 and the Rebels 78,000. The Yankees were trapped into a pocket with only one direction of movement, forward. The confederate sharpshooters shot the Yankees with deadly accuracy. In scene, Yankee casualties reached 200 in one charge. The battle of Fredricksburg was a serious Union defeat, but not the end too the war. Union generals and soldiers had an endless supply of replacements. Many Confederate Generals were involved in the battle of Fredricksburg. The battle of Fredricksburg formed a defense formation from right to left starting with Jeb Staurt, next Gen Robert E Lee, Gen Longstreet, and Hooker too the left. Rufus overheard on fat man brag about Jeb Staurt out whitting the Yankees with a calvery flank move to the right and predicted the war would be over in "six months". The war would last three years. In one scene, the Yankees played "The Star Spangled Banner" and other Yankee patriotic songs, but when the union musicians played "Dixie" a roar of cheers and shouts climaxed on the rebel side. Union General Burnside felt capturing Fredricksburg was a strategic prize. President Lincoln lost confidence in General Burnsides lack of aggression and replace him. The delay in building the bridge had allowed the confederate armies to arrive and anchor into place. President Lincoln was angered by the delay. The Yankees had to cross the Rappahannock River before gaining access to the interior of the city. The battle was delay for one week until the Pontoon bridges arrived. The Union soldiers received Rebel gunfire while they installed the pontoon bridge necessary for crossing the Rappahannock River. The Union army was able to cross over the Rappahannock River and march into Fredricksburg. Confederate General Lee ordered the evacuation of Fredricksburg. Civilians departed their homes and many walked out of the city with their possessions. Rufus dreamed he saw a little girl carrying her doll out of the city. The little girl struggled to carry the doll and at the same time keep pace with her party. Rufus pra

The journal of Rufus Rowe(review) : By Tabatha Denham

Rufus rowe ran away from his home in Bowling Green Virgina. Cause of his step dad his teacher gave him the journal to write in.He starts to write in the journal a month after he got the journal September 22, 1862. Rufus left to go to fredricksburg to were the battle of the Yanks and Rebels will be fighting on october 6, 1862. He also thought that his step dad Mr. Jenkins will be looking for him in richmond cause he takled about moving there. before Rufus left for fredricksburg he told his mom cause he didn't want her to worry. rufus is sleeping in a alley way when he gets to fredricksburg he didn't write in his journal for a week when he gets there cause he has been to buissy looking for a place to live. the day after he wrote in his journala girl saw him in the ally and she offered him a potatoe after she offered him the potatoe she asked him if he had a place to live. She told him to go up togo up to Brompton Hill to where she worked for a rich guy she told him to meet her there the next day. So he takes her offer and he meets her there she said that he can sleep in the barn on the second floor she said she already put hay up there for him. He lives there for a week until he meet a soilder and the soilder ask if he can run a errond for him Rufus took the offer and the soilder aid him that he'll pay him a dollar and fifty cents so he did. after a month of doing that the war started and he had to quit running erronds.