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John Hanstrange Research Paper

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No one knew they would be getting into this mess. John Hanstrange was a farmer boy and he had never fought in a war. The date was March 3, 1863. The war had started two years ago and and it did not show sign of stopping anytime soon. John had been taken away from his home earlier that month and had been taken to the Confederate army. He was a scrawny boy with blonde hair and blues eyes. His days consisted of pulling weeds and picking at his humongous pimples.
His first day in the army was not as he had planned. He arrived and was immediately swept into the swing of this movement. He was given a gun, gunpowder, and the uniform. The army had been marching for over six hours so they took a rest for the night. A young boy came up to the woozy …show more content…

He gave some of his food to the hungry John. John gave him thanks and exclaimed that he had never walked this much before. Shortly after, this new friend told him to get some rest because they would be walking a lot the next day. John was full of bliss for having made a new friend in this unfamiliar world.
He couldn’t sleep much that night. John had been kept awake from the chirping of the crickets and the buzzing of the bees. Noises like that were unfamiliar to the him for he had usually slept inside in the comfort of having walls and never worried of being crept up on.
The next morning, groggily, John and his new friend woke up to the triumphant yells of generals. The grass was damp from the night before for it had rained a thunderous rain. John’s general, General Hartford, was a stern looking man and didn’t like goofing off at all. Every time a soldier peeped a word while marching he would hit them with the end of his sword and tell them to stop talking. John marched alongside his new friend and didn’t say a word. After hours of marching they took a break and ate a small lunch of an apple and very watered-down soup. Once John started his bowl of soup a large boy walked over. He was about the age of twenty-three and had a messed up smile and didn’t talk clearly. He yelled, “Gimme your soup or I’ll beat you …show more content…

He ran right by the general's tent and went straight down to the river. John ran through all the fields they had walked through just to get there. He did not where he was going but he knew his way back to James. Nightfall came upon him shortly.
He stopped for the night at a small tree. The tree went up about 7 feet and branched out from there. Covering his head with his hat he eventually fell asleep.
The next morning he got up at about midday and started on his way back to James. At this point he was about a mile or two away from James. John reached James and saw him laying on the ground with his head still against the same tree. He came over and picked up James’ head and touched his face. The blood was still there and by now it was crusty and smelled rancid.The afternoon sunshine shone down on James’ face. There was nothing left for the boy to do now.
John stood there above him and started to feel a tear roll down his cheek. He was crying. He never really got to know the boy but that boy helped him so much and he did not even realize it.
John bent down and covered the boy’s face with his hat and said, “Goodbye…

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