Albert Cheatham was a real teenager who lived during the Civil War. Born a slave, he escaped to freedom and was living in during Morgan’s Raid. After the raid, he joined the . In addition to telling the story of his life, the storybook provides information to students about how historians learn about the past and how some things remain a mystery.

OBJECTIVES: After reading the article and completing these activities, students will be able to:  Describe how we learn about the past using primary documents and other resources.  Recount the story of Albert’s unique experience during the Civil War.

WHAT TO DO:  Read The Story of Albert Cheatham. This can be found in the Teachers section on Conner Prairie’s website.  Students may complete the following worksheet to help them better understand the story.

INDIANA ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Social Studies 4.1.8 Summarize the impact of ’s presidency on Indiana and describe the participation of Indiana citizens in the Civil War.

Example: Indiana’s volunteer soldiers, the Twenty-eighth Regiment of the United States Colored Troops, , , The , and women on the home front

Common Core- English/Language Arts 4.RI.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area. 4.RI.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 4.RI.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

First, read The Story of Albert Cheatham. Then, answer these questions. Use examples from the story to help you answer the questions.

1. How do we know information about Albert’s life? Where was the author able to find information about Albert in order to learn about his life?

2. What are “cavalry troops”? Use clues from the text to help you find the answer.

3. Describe three different opinions people in Indiana had about slavery during the Civil War.

4. What events in Albert’s life remain mysteries?

5. If you could talk to Albert today, what questions would you have for him?