Time On Their Hands


	Chapter Six


	After visiting the Trail of Tears, the three time travelers now find themselves in a farmhouse in rural North Carolina, witnessing the surrender of Gen. Johnston's troops during the Civil War. The date is April 26,1865.)




		Union Gen. William Sherman

There were many military men both outside and inside the small, plainly furnished farmhouse on Hillsborough Road just west of the city of Durham. Sam looked with curiosity at the dusty men wearing what appeared to be their best military finery.

The two men upon whom the attention of the others was focused spoke quietly together as they walked into the farmhouse. Mr. Dreamer told the kids that the men were Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston and his Union counterpart, Gen. William Sherman




		Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston

"These two generals have met in battle before – most recently at a place known as Bentonville. The South's bid to secede from the Union is coming to a halt. Once Johnston signs the surrender, the war will be over for the most part," he said.

"But I thought we learned that a general named Robert E. Lee surrendered for the Confederacy at some place called Appo…Appo…Appo-something," Kate said.

Mr. Dreamer nodded. "That's Appomattox, Kate. And you're right. The Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee did surrender after the battle of Appomattox. But there were still troops fighting south of Virginia, in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. As a result, a second surrender was needed to take these troops out of the war. Later on, troops in other areas will also surrender.

"Today's meeting is the third one these two generals have had. The first time they met was on April 17^th. Sherman – who had fought his way through Georgia and other parts of the South – was now in Raleigh. That the South had lost the war was obvious to everyone. A formal surrender was necessary."

"But they aren't surrendering, Mr. Dreamer. They're just talking and signing some papers," Sam said. "When are they going to put their hands up?"

"It's not that kind of surrender, Sam. Johnston didn't put up his hands up or wave a white flag. He wasn't surrendering just for himself – he was surrendering for thousands of troops," Mr. Dreamer said.

He explained that at the first meeting to arrange the terms of the surrender, Sherman shared a telegraph he had received that day from the Union Secretary of War. It broke stunning news.

"Can you guess what that news was?" Mr. Dreamer asked.

"Uh, the Carolina Panthers were going to the Superbowl?" Sam asked.

Kate laughed. "They didn't play football during the Civil War, you goof," she said.

Mr. Dreamer smiled. "No, Sam. Sherman had been notified that Pres. Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated. That meant the Union was leaderless and the fighting was not yet over. It was important to conclude the war so the country could be rebuilt."

Mr. Dreamer said the Bennett farm was chosen for the meeting because it was geographically about midway between the two generals. In 1921, it burned to the ground and was completely reconstructed in 1961. Today, the farmhouse is a state historical site, but the only thing left from the original home is the chimney.

The two generals stood and shook hands.

"That's it, kids. The war is virtually over. Now the South will enter a stage known as Reconstruction. And it's time for us to depart. We need to hurry if we're going to get there before they lift off," Mr. Dreamer said.

"Lift off? Like in a space shuttle?"

"Not exactly, Sam. But one thing's for certain – without these two famous gentlemen, the space shuttle might never have happened. Come along, there's our door. Let's get moving," he said, as he led the two kids through the open door.

When they stepped out on the other side, they found themselves in the freezing cold with the wind whipping sand around them. Ice puddles were on the beach in front of them and nearby they could see a group of men gathered around an odd-looking contraption.

"Brrrr. It's freezing! Where are we – the North Pole?" Kate asked.

"Nope. We're on the beach and just in time to witness the Wright brothers first flight!"

Click on the sketch above to take a virtual tour of the remain of the USS Monitor as they lie underwater off the North Carolina coast.

Vocabulary Words:

secede: To separate from something.

surrender: To give up, capitulate.

midway: In the middle.

reconstruction: The results of correcting.

contraption: A device.

Click here to read about the first air flight of Wilbur & Orville Wright

Did You Know?

Most of the battles of the Civil War took place on land, but you might be surprised to know there were also a number battles at sea. The most famous of these involved the USS Monitor, a Union ironclad, and CSS Virginia, which was once the Union ship, Merrimack.

The Virginia fought the smaller Monitor to a draw and the next day the Monitor refused a challenge to continue the battle. Later, in 1862, the South deliberately destroyed the Virginia so it wouldn't fall into Union hands. A few months later, the Monitor sank in a storm off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC. The ship's remains were further damaged during World War II when the U.S. Navy mistook it for a submarine and launched depth charges at it. Efforts are presently underway to recover the remains of the Monitor.

Something To Talk About:

In order to sign the surrender documents ending the war, the commanders on both sides had to trust their former enemies. If either side had attacked the other, not only would the war have continued, but it would have been difficult to bring the two sides together again.

When someone has demonstrated that he or she cannot be trusted, you have a hard time believing that such a person has changed for the better. That's why it's important to always be trustworthy. If you make a habit of keeping your word, no one will doubt you.

Can you think of a time when someone broke his or her word to you? Like when a friend borrowed a toy and lost it after promising to take good care of it? How did it make you feel about that person?

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