Civil War Care Package

Civil War Care Package: Personal Letter: Use the graphic organizer below and the letter format to help draft your letter.

______(Home City/State) ______(Date or your letter from the 1860s)

Dear ______, (Name of your family member – soldier)

______

______.

______(Closing – Your name)

P.S. ______(Any last minute remembers?) Research Notes for Letter Content: Bullet point ideas from research to be included in your letter Region: North or South  Choose your side (North or South) State:______ Make sure the state you pick is in your region Hometown: ______ Find a city or town in the state you chose to be your Date of letter:______hometown  Choose a date between 1861 and 1865 (any month and day) - think about the content of your letter – relate your information to a battle and chose a date close to the date of that battle Paragraph #1: (2-3 facts) Paragraph #2: (2-3 facts) What is your hometown like? How do you hope the war ends? (make sure your hopes for How has the war affected your hometown/state up to the future fit your region (North/South) the date you chose? (You can make up names for family members and tell the answers to these questions as a story.)

Sample letter – find other samples in your research Letter from Ellen to her cousin, Jasper N. Bertram, January 5, 1864 (Note: [sic] means the original word is illegible) (Source: http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/civilwar/id/673/rec/20)

Columbus Ky Jan 5th, 1864

Cousin Jasper

Once more in time I embrace the pleasant opportunyity [sic] of droping [sic] you a few lines in answer to your very kind and interesting letter which came to hand some weeks since I would have written ere this but heard of so much fighting down there that I thought it useless to write. I have no news of interest. This is new year and we are all busy. I am still teaching. My school has six weeks of being out. I enjoy teaching so much. I don't think I will ever follow any other employment. Well, I saw some Christmas though could not enjoy myself with a free good will as my mind was fillid [sic] with thoughts of other days when all was quiet and peace at home and abroad. Oh! That we had peace as in days of yore. I am so tired of war yet I am still in for a vigorous proscention [sic] of it until the last trailer quails beneath the fire of Uncle Sams Boys. I hope yet to see the Star Spangled Banner floating over the United States as in days when we knew no war. Well we have some snow nowadays in old Adair. It has been snowing two or three days and is still falling slowly. The white flakes (apearing [sic] as so many large feathers) are chasing each other to old mother earth where they find a temporary resting place. Oh! That I was a little child again so that I might enjoy the childish sport of snow balling &c. Well I am not married neither is there any prospect of such an occurrence. I have a widower bean tis true but then he and I are not taking on any. I am the same wild mischievous Wagen and could not live if it were not for a spice of romance occasionally. I don't think I could love any one. My hearat is too calous [sic] and I know no one could love me so I will be an old maid. Civil War Care Package Items Graphic Organizer: Identify the Items: Why did you choose the item? How might the item encourage your family member? Item #1: What is it?

What does it look like? (include the actual item or print a picture of the item and put it in your box)

Item #2: What is it?

What does it look like? (include the actual item or a picture of the item in your box)

What does it look like? (include the actual item or a picture of the item in your box) Identify the Items: Why did you choose the item? How might the item boost your family member? Item #5: “Special Ordnance” What is it?

Continue: Item #5 “Special Ordnance”: What battle will the soldiers of your side be able to use the item you chose to change the outcome?

What is your alternate ending for the battle you chose? How is the “special” item going to make your side win?

Bibliography: Keep track of the sources you use to find information below. Source Title: Author: Publishing Information: Copyright Date: Web Address:

Sample Source Citation for your History Textbook: Appleby, Joyce. The American journey. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.