Marching to Appomattox: The Footrace That Ended the Civil War [Hardcover]

Ken Stark (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

We always hear about how wars start, but how they end can be just as fascinating. That is certainly the case with America?s Civil War. After the fall of Richmond, Robert E. Lee and his Confederate troops were racing toward North Carolina for supplies and reinforcements. Ulysses S. Grant?s Union troops were determined to stop them. Both sides were certain they would prevail, yet after fi ghting with all his heart and soul, Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House. What made him do that?

Find out how geography, luck, perseverance, and compassionate diplomacy by Lee and Grant combined to change the course of our nation?s history.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—The beginning of April 1865 was a pivotal time in the Civil War. Following a defeat at Richmond, VA, the Confederate forces tried to outrun the Union troops and get to waiting reinforcements in North Carolina. Instead, Lee's men ended up trapped by General Grant's army. The week culminated with Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Stark frames this war vignette effectively for young readers. While calling the events a "footrace" may not do justice to the horrors of war, it is a creative way to present the information. The text is folksy and conversational, but quotations are not directly attributed. The author is respectful of both Grant and Lee, and depicts the soldiers on both sides as having more in common than not. The illustrations are a great strength. Rendered in watercolor, the inclusion of gouache and casein gives the hues a vividness and depth not always associated with the medium. The soldiers look strong and determined, in victory and defeat. Stark's attention to detail means that the famous "silent witness," a doll left in the parlor before the generals arrived, appears in the background of a spread that shows them shaking hands. Report writers will need a more straightforward approach to the topic, such as Andrew Santella's Surrender at Appomattox (Compass Point, 2006), but this book has appeal for the many children who enjoy reading about the Civil War or who may be visiting the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In this dramatic day-by-day account, Stark chronicles the tense six-day chase in April 1865 that ended with the Army of Northern Virginia’s failure to break out of the encircling Union forces. In both the text and the realistic painted illustrations, the view alternates between scenes of the mud-spattered, cigar-smoking Grant amid long lines of blue-clad foot soldiers and the more dapper but increasingly grim Lee, desperately looking for some escape route for his weary, ragged troops. Stark recounts in detail the two generals’ historic culminating meeting and closes with an amicable symbolic parting between a “Yank” and a “Johnny Reb,” who set off for their respective homes. A simplified map at the opening and an afterword and useful reading list at the end round off this absorbing alternative to the likes of Zachary Kent’s Story of the Surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse (1987) or Tom McGowen’s Surrender at Appomattox (2004). Grades 4-6. --John Peters

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (January 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399242120
• ISBN-13: 978-0399242120
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,699,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent historical rendition of the march to Appomattox!, May 5, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Marching to Appomattox: The Footrace That Ended the Civil War (Hardcover)

It was the end of the Civil War, but General Robert E. Lee couldn't accept the fact that his devoted Confederate Army of Northern Virginia faced defeat. Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln's top officer, and his Billy Yanks were trying their best to capture Lee's forces. Both sides had tough, proud men in their ranks. "If the Yanks caught the Rebel army, the war would end and so would slavery." The seven day cat and mouse march that began on April 3, 1865 had begun.

Lee, "The Marble Model," had to shake off those Yanks and kept his men moving. April 4th found them at Amelia Court House where he soon discovered there was not a crumb to be had for his faithful troops. On the 5th at Jetersville he "prodded his soggy troops south to escape." The Billy Yanks kept up their chase. April 6th found them in more of a predicament than ever at Sailor's Creek. The surrender of a full fifth of his army, including his son Custis, was disheartening. The Yanks kept `a coming.

April 7th found Grant and his men, including his son Rooney, in Farmville. "Lee kept on, his half-starved men fighting for every mile." Grant knew at this point, General Robert E. Lee was defeated, yet his letters to him didn't seem to have any effect. On the 8th the troops were on their way to Appomattox. Lee's men began to falter, many falling to their knees from lack of food and exhaustion. The Gray coats needed food, but the Blues weren't going to let them have it. They were a full one hundred miles into their race. What would happen when they finally reached Appomattox?

This was a very poignant and effective rendition of the final march to Appomattox. The artwork was very colorful, sweeping and stunning. The visual imagery told the tale of the march almost as well as the text, which was moving and pulled me into the story. I liked the small details in the book. For instance, even the horses names were mentioned. The only problem I had with this book was that it was unpaginated and I had to browse to find sections I wanted to take a further look at. This is an excellent historical rendition of the march to Appomattox and without a doubt would be a positive addition to any Civil War collection!