Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 5, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in the 1860s and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the fifth in a series. Volume I was Amelia Changes Her Tune. Volume II was Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home. Volume III was Autumn Keeps Her Secret. Volume IV was Mr. Gamble Starts a School.
“All right students, let’s review our states and their capitals.”
Most of the students groaned when Miss Porter called for the geography books — most of the students groaned whenever Miss Porter asked them to do anything.
But Jacob did not. He was excited about geography because so many things were happening in the country and every newspaper seemed to bring news of the war that listed someplace else he had never heard before.
It was fascinating to look for these places — Carthage, Rich Mountain, Blackburn’s Ford, Wilson’s Creek, Fort Clark. Jacob noticed that most of the battles seemed to happen in Virginia in the east, and Missouri in the west. They were all far away places.
Miss Porter stood beside her desk in front of a United States map. It was big enough to be seen by all 30 students in Jacob and Cassie’s class. They attended West primary school, at First and Mulberry, one of five schools in Mansfield. The others, predictably, were named East, North, South and Central.
“I will point to a state and you shout out its name first, then the capitol,” she said. “New York, Albany,” the class shouted at the first point.
“Maine, Augusta.”
“Delaware, Dover.”
“Massachusetts, Boston.”
“Vermont, Montpelier.”
The class was noticeably quieter with that one.
“You don’t seem so confident, class,” Miss Porter chided. “Let’s try it again.”
“Vermont, Montpelier,” the class shouted.
“Very good, how about…”
“Illinois, Springfield.”
“Yes, and Alfred, who is the most famous resident of Springfield?”
“President Lincoln, Miss Porter.”
“Very good, now how about…” “Michigan, Lansing.”
“Minnesota, St. Paul.”
“Pennsylvania, Harrisburg.”
“Virginia, Richmond.”
The students were quieter again.
“You seem unsure,” Miss Porter said. “Why is that?”
One of the boys half-raised his hand.
“Simon?”
“Is Virginia one of the states, still? I mean they seseshed, didn’t they?”
“You mean it seceded? Yes, it did.”
“So doesn’t that mean they aren’t part of the United States?”
“That is a good question, but no, we see them still as part of our country. That is what the war is about, to keep us as one country,” she said.
“But I say if they don’t want to be with us, good riddance,” Simon said.
“Many feel that way, I suppose, but I don’t. We are not the ‘Ununited States,’ children, we are one nation. The Rebels have a flag with seven stars and now there are 11 states that have joined in the Confederacy, but our flag still has 33 stars on it, including Virginia and all the southern states. They are still our brothers and we will treat them that way,” Miss Porter said.
“Even if they shoot us?” another boy asked.
“Yes, Timothy. Hopefully this will be over soon and we won’t have to worry about Americans shooting each other. Not everyone in every state feels the same about what their state government has decided.”
Cassie raised her hand. Miss Porter nodded to her. “My Uncle Samuel lives in Arkansas, in the northwest part, in the mountains. He says that area is equally divided about whether to support the north or the south. My two cousins are even divided that way. My mother says one has joined the Union army, and the other has become a Johnny Reb.”
“Look at our map, children. Look at the boundary between the North and the South. It seems the closer we get to the line, from either direction, the more we have people supporting either side, living side by side,” she said.
“Miss Porter, if Virginia borders right up to Ohio like it does, shouldn’t we be afraid of their army attacking us?” one of the girls asked.
“Do you see this big mountain range coming through Virginia? These are the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachians. That mountain range is better than an army for keeping the enemy away from us. In fact, this whole part of Virginia, in the northwest, on our side of the Blue Ridge, supports the Union. They don’t want to be a Southern state. In fact, there is talk of making western Virginia its own state,” she answered.
“Maybe they could call it East Kentucky,” one boy suggested.
“Why not,” Miss Porter said, then added, “But don’t think you can talk me out of your recitation.”
The class continued through all 33 states, then Miss Porter instructed the students to take out their McGuffey readers. Cassie raised her hand again.
“Miss Porter, my uncle, the one in Arkansas, says he had Mr. McGuffey as a teacher, years and years ago, like in the 1700s.”
“Actually, it was the 1830s, dear,” Miss Porter smiled.
“Your mother told me about it. Mr. McGuffey was a professor at Miami University near Cincinnati. He taught Greek and Latin; that’s what your uncle would have studied. Professor McGuffey had some good ideas about how students can best learn to read and how they can learn other important things while learning to read. These books are used all over the country now.
“You should have happier faces on when I ask you to read from them now, don’t you think?” she asked.
Jacob liked Miss Porter. If he had to be stuck inside on beautiful days, and wearing shoes no less, at least she made it easier to do so. Suddenly he remembered something about his uncle Samuel, too. He shot his hand up.
“Yes Jacob.”
“My uncle also said he once had a rail-splitting contest with President Lincoln.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes, of course he didn’t know that he was president,” Jacob said.
“That’s because he wasn’t,” Cassie said, obviously concerned that Jacob wouldn’t get the story right. “It was years ago,” Cassie continued. “When Mama was a little girl, Uncle Sam was in school, at that University you mentioned. He went west through Illinois, and he paid his way by splitting rails and taking bets in contests. Abe Lincoln was the only one that beat him. ‘Course he didn’t know Mr. Lincoln was going to be famous one day.”
“That is very interesting,” Miss Porter said. “I will be sure to ask your mother about that one, too. Thank you Cassie, uh, and Jacob, for sharing that.”
Cassie beamed at her teacher and sat up straight and proud. Jacob glared at his sister. That was my story, he thought.
