Under siege! : three children at the Civil War battle for Vicksburg

Select an Action

Title:

Under siege! : three children at the Civil War battle for Vicksburg

Author:

Warren, Andrea.

ISBN:

9780374312558

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Melanie Kroupa Books, 2009.

Physical Description:

166 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm.

Contents:

War comes to Vicksburg : December 1862 -- The Christmas Eve Ball : December 24, 1862 -- The general's boy goes to war : spring 1863 -- Burying the family silver : late spring 1863 -- At the battle front : late spring 1863 -- The Yankees are coming! : May 1863 -- The road to Vicksburg : May 15-18, 1863 -- Enemy at the gates : May 17-25, 1863 -- Into the caves : late May and early June 1863 -- Dangerous days : early June 1863 -- Growing desperation : middle June 1863 -- Empty stomachs : late June 1863 -- Surrender! : July 4, 1863 -- The unfinished war : July 1863 and beyond -- Postscripts -- Other information about the war -- Facts about the war -- Children orphaned by war -- Women and the war -- Reconstruction.

Reading Level:

1110 L Lexile

Subject Term:

Children -- Mississippi -- Vicksburg -- History -- 19th century.

Children -- United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.

Children -- United States -- Social conditions -- 19th century.

Geographic Term:

Vicksburg (Miss.) -- History -- Siege, 1863.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Children.

Summary:

This book looks at the 1862-63 battle for Vicksburg through the eyes of three children: ten-year-old Lucy, the daughter of a Vicksburg merchant; eleven-year-old Willie, the son of a minister; and twelve-year old Frederick, the son of Ulysses S. Grant.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	J 973.7344 WAR	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Meet Lucy McRae and two other young people, Willie Lord and Frederick Grant, all survivors of the Civil War's Battle for Vicksburg. In 1863, Union troops intend to silence the cannons guarding the Mississippi River at Vicksburg - even if they have to take the city by siege. To hasten surrender, they are shelling Vicksburg night and day. Terrified townspeople, including Lucy and Willie, take shelter in caves - enduring heat, snakes, and near suffocation. On the Union side, twelve-year-old Frederick Grant has come to visit his father, General Ulysses S. Grant, only to find himself in the midst of battle, experiencing firsthand the horrors of war.

"Living in a cave under the ground for six weeks . . . I do not think a child could have passed through what I did and have forgotten it." - Lucy McRae, age 10, 1863

Period photographs, engravings, and maps extend this dramatic story as award-winning author Andrea Warren re-creates one of the most important Civil War battles through the eyes of ordinary townspeople, officers and enlisted men from both sides, and, above all, three brave children who were there.

Author Notes

ANDREA WARREN's noteworthy nonfiction has received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award as well as a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award. Her recent book, Escape from Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became an American Boy , was a Booklist Editors' Choice and an NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, among other recommendations. She lives in the Kansas City area.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-9-The words and experiences of three children bring the Siege of Vicksburg to life. Two Confederate kids flee with their families to endure several weeks in a hillside cave; meanwhile, the son of General Grant tastes battle for the first time. Absorbing narrative descriptions and additional firsthand sources support this multifaceted view of the pivotal wartime event. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

(Intermediate, Middle School) What is the homefront in a war like when the fighting is in front of one's own home? Three very different children-Lucy McRae, a native of a prominent Vicksburg family; Willie Lord, son of an Episcopal minister; and Frederick Grant, son of Ulysses S. Grant-share, through edited first-person accounts, their experiences over the eighteen-month Battle of Vicksburg. That Fred Grant would be permitted (even encouraged) to accompany his father on such a dangerous campaign shows modern readers a reality much different from their own. The constant bombardment of the town; the very real dangers and inconveniences of hiding in Mississippi River caves; and the alternately festive and morbidly curious citizens of Vicksburg, who would regularly view the battle-all combine to present readers with an 1863 seldom pictured in textbooks. Appended with recommended readings, Internet resources, a selected bibliography, full documentation, and an unseen index. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

This engrossing account of the 1863 siege of Vicksburg chronicles the event through the experiences of three young people from December 1862 through the aftermath of the surrender on July 4, 1863. Warren creates a compelling narrative using the points of view of ten-year-old Lucy McRae, the daughter of a successful Vicksburg businessman, Willie Lord, the 11-year-old son of a Vicksburg minister, and Fred Grant, the 12-year-old son of Ulysses S. Grant. Fred is a particularly interesting subject, having accompanied his father for the entire campaign. Despite being shot in the leg and contracting dysentery and typhoid, Fred's enthusiasm for the experience never wanes. Primary sources, including quotes from the children, period photographs, maps and paintings are used throughout. The extensive backmatter includes an annotated list of recommended Civil War books, a longer bibliography of sources, endnotes and illustration credits. A unique perspective on a pivotal Civil War campaign. (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Strategically positioned to control the Mississippi, Vicksburg was well fortified and well defended by Confederate forces during the Civil War. When Union assaults failed to take the city, General Grant's troops began a siege that lasted 47 days. Illustrated with many period photos and prints, this well-researched book offers a chronological account of events laced with quotes from those who were present. In particular, the narrative focuses on three young people who later wrote articles or were interviewed about their memories of the siege: 10-year-old Lucy McRae and 11-year-old Willie Lord, both Vicksburg residents, and 12-year-old Frederick Grant, the general's son. Readers interested in military campaigns will be fascinated by young Grant's observations of battlefields as well as his father's command center, while others will be intrigued by the stories of families living in dug-out caves and eventually facing starvation, while cannonballs, minié balls, and artillery shells rained down on their city. The many quotes offer insights into the points of view of Vicksburg residents and soldiers on both sides of the conflict. The extensive back matter includes further information about people discussed; facts about the Civil War and Reconstruction; recommended books, films, and Internet sites; a selected bibliography; and source notes. Vivid, informative history.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Horn Book Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

Helpful Links

Research Links

Contact

Events and Rooms

Follow Us

Today's Hours