Abrahams Battle: Novel Of Gettysburg A [Hardcover]

Sara Harrell Banks (Author)

Book Description

"Four score and seven seven years ago..."

Before Abraham Lincoln uttered these immortal words, Union and Confederate soldiers met in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The year was 1863, and the men that fought on both sides were not just nameless faces, they were individuals.

Abraham Small is a free black man -- an ex-slave -- who is now the caretaker of a Gettysburg estate and its owner's spirited young daughter. Private Lamar Cooper is a white Confederate soldier, a poor boy who has never known a slave and barely understands the cause he is fighting for. The two meet by chance before the battle -- only long enough to establish that they both miss their homeland, and to crystallize for Abraham that he should be fighting for what he believes in: the end of slavery.

Their paths cross one more time, on the battlefield of Gettysburg. Abraham is now a member of the Union ambulance corps; Lamar a critically wounded soldier. Should Abraham aid this boy who is his enemy? Are there moments when differences vanish and we are all simply human beings with a duty to help one another?

In Sara Harrell Banks's powerful novel -- culminating in a moving encounter between Abraham Small and Abraham Lincoln -- this difficult question is eloquently addressed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This flimsy Civil War novel offers two views of the decisive three-day battle of Gettysburg: one through Abraham, a former slave living in the Pennsylvania town, and the other through 16-year-old Lamar, a Confederate soldier. As troops from both sides rally, Abraham and Lamar meet by chance in a field. Supposedly due to their shared Southern heritage, these two enemies put aside their loyalties to discuss their homes, the Underground Railroad and their views on slavery. However, their dialogue is contrived to establish skeletal facts about the war rather than to reveal much about either man's character (at one point Lamar says, "Tell you the truth, I never pondered much on slavery"). Disheartened by Lamar's vague reasons for fighting, Abraham determines he must act on his own convictions and volunteers himself and his mule, Charity, to drive an ambulance (predictably, he ends up finding a wounded Lamar). Vivid descriptions of nature evoke the beauty of the land and the pregnant pause before imminent conflict. The strongest episode occurs in the final chapter when President Lincoln arrives to dedicate the Gettysburg battlefield as a national cemetery (his famous address is reprinted here in its entirety). Readers may gain a new understanding of the enduring legacy of Lincoln's concise and illustrious words, but will likely forget these disappointingly thin and archetypal characters. Ages 9-13.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Ex-slave Abraham Small is now a freeman living in Gettysburg, PA. On the day before the battle, while picnicking with his employer's young daughter, he meets Lamar Cooper, a 16-year-old Confederate soldier. Lamar is a poor farmer, not a slave owner, and Abraham is the first black man he has ever met. Abraham, with dark memories of his captivity, is wary of the young man. Still, he shares his picnic with him. This encounter convinces Abraham that he should be fighting for the Union and against slavery, and he volunteers as an ambulance driver. Later, during the battle, he happens upon the wounded Lamar and takes him to a field hospital. The nature of war and animosity are simply explored in a manner that will cause young readers to think about such issues themselves. To sophisticated readers, Abraham might seem almost too eloquent and too noble, and the secondary characters are only sketchily drawn. The final scenes, wherein Abraham escorts Abraham Lincoln around the battlefield, are somewhat contrived, although they portray the president in a human, touching way. For young readers struggling to understand the complex topic of the Civil War, this quiet novel will yield thought-provoking ideas and humanize that terrible conflict.
Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books; 1st edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689817797
• ISBN-13: 978-0689817793
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,900,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of a president and a runaway slave, both equals., November 28, 1999

By 

Jessica Lyn Butler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abrahams Battle: Novel Of Gettysburg A (Hardcover)

Abraham's Battle, by Sara Harrell Banks, is about the Civil War, more specifically, The Battle of Gettysburg. But that is only skin deep, it is a novel about equality, about hate, and about love. The story centers around a white northern girl, Ladybird, and a runaway slave man, Abraham, the best of friends, despite the time in which they are living, which may frown on such friendships. They are perfectly happy together, and enjoy walking with the mule, Charity. But their simple existence is complicated when a soldier for the south arrives at the farm, asking for food. Abraham, despite himself takes a liking to this homesick young man and is almost sorry when they part at the end of the day. Later on, Abraham saves his life. Throughout the entire book, Banks is constantly reinforcing the message that all men are created equally but in such delicate and subtle methods that the flow of the story is never once interrupted. For example: Ladysmith's friendship with Abraham, Abraham saving a man fighting on the opposite side in the war, and Abrahams conversation with the president that shares his name. Abraham's Battle is a flowing and poignant tale that is subtle and yet a still powerful narrative that should be enjoyed for generations to come.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Morgan Freeman Role, November 23, 2005

By 

Library Gaga (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abraham's Battle: A Novel of Gettysburg (Paperback)

Abraham's Battle: A Novel of Gettysburg by Sara Harrell Banks told the story of a former slave, Abraham Small. He had escaped the South through the Underground Railroad and was living as a freedman in Gettysburg. The story opens in late June 1863 immediately before the Battle of Gettysburg. We discover that Abraham misses the South through his encounter with Lamar, a wandering Rebel whom he reminisces with after getting to know him. Lamar, a white, mountain man, apparently has never talked to a black man before and bears no prejudice toward him. This was a bit unbelievable.

Abraham has a revelation prior to the battle that he should join the Union army as an ambulance driver. He does so and once again encounters Lamar, wounded on the field. He brings Lamar to a Yankee hospital, but Lamar subsequently dies of his wounds. At the end of the book Abraham receives a packet of okra seeds from Lamar posthumously through a convoluted channel of soldiers, sister, etc.

Abraham also meets President Lincoln when he is in town for the Gettysburg memorial dedication. Lincoln hitches a ride to the battlefield with Abraham and his mule Charity. Some fairly incredible events occur out there. For example, President Lincoln stretches himself out on the ground and embraces it. In a historical novel like this, I expect most episodes to be based on fact. Perhaps this happened, but in my years as a genealogy/history librarian I never heard about it.

This was, however, a very good introduction to the Battle of Gettysburg. The characters were sympathetic and believable, although Lamar might have been whitewashed. I did appreciate the author's attempt to present both Union and Confederate soldiers as human and compassionate. The descriptions of landscape and Southern memories were on target and well written. If this was a movie, Morgan Freeman would be perfect as Abraham. I would recommend this book to students wanting to know basic facts about Gettysburg.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Abraham's Battle, March 11, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Abraham's Battle: A Novel of Gettysburg (Paperback)

Hey, my name is Jeremiah Johnson. I'm doing a book review for Abraham's Battle. The book is about a freed black man named Abraham Small. He escaped from the South, and now he works for a nice white family in Pennsylvania. Their young daughter, Ladysmith, loves Abraham and wants to spend all her time with him. One day, a young Confederate soldier by the name of Lamar Cooper walks up to the fence asking for food. He and Lamar become friends, even though they are complete opposites.
When the Civil War began, Ladysmith's father had to go off to war. Abraham decided that it was the manly thing to do. He is black, so no one wants him in their regiment. He becomes an ambulance driver. An ambulance driver picks up wounded souldiers from the battlefield. One day, Abraham finds Lamar on the Union side. Abraham takes him to their makeshift hospital.
When the war is over, Abraham Lincoln comes to Gettysburg and makes a speech. Lincoln uses Small's mule and gives him his hat. Abraham in honored and very happy.
This is a good book, but it is only 88 pages and is made for kids. I reccommened this book for anyone who needs to do a book review for a project in school. It's short, easy, and has plenty of information about the life of and old black man during the Civil War. Otherwise, stay away from this book.