My Name Is America: Journal Of Rufus Rowe, Witness To The Battle Of Fredricksburg (A Dear America Book) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "My name is Rufus Rowe and I am sixteen years old..." (more)
Key Phrases: musket fire, Corporal Welsh, Captain Nelson, Bowling Green (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-When Rufus Rowe, 16, runs away from home to escape his harsh stepfather, he keeps his promise to his teacher by recording his experiences in the "fine leather bound book" she gave him. Upon arrival in Fredericksburg, he acquaints himself with the rebel troops and begins an enterprising business running errands for soldiers, and takes shelter at a farm that becomes the headquarters of a Confederate division during the Battle of Fredericksburg. His observations of crude medical procedures, the slaughtering of men, and corpse robbing are recorded with frank simplicity. Pumping emotion into fact, his journal shows the humanity that is at the center of this war, as when Rufus witnesses the occasional acts of compassion between the opposing armies. But with his youthful tendency to seek explanations, Rufus surmises that despite the overwhelming brutality, "some people keep their decency no matter how ugly the situation." A historical note and period black-and-white photographs and reproductions are appended.
Kimberly Monaghan, formerly at Vernon Area Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439353645
• ISBN-13: 978-0439353649
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #300,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The journal of Rufus Rowe(review) : By Tabatha Denham, October 20, 2005

A Kid's Review

Rufus rowe ran away from his home in Bowling Green Virgina.
Cause of his step dad his teacher gave him the journal to write in.He starts to write in the journal a month after he got the journal September 22, 1862. Rufus left to go to fredricksburg to were the battle of the Yanks and Rebels will be fighting on october 6, 1862. He also thought that his step dad Mr. Jenkins will be looking for him in richmond cause he takled about moving there. before Rufus left for fredricksburg he told his mom cause he didn't want her to worry. rufus is sleeping in a alley way when he gets to fredricksburg he didn't write in his journal for a week when he gets there cause he has been to buissy looking for a place to live. the day after he wrote in his journala girl saw him in the ally and she offered him a potatoe after she offered him the potatoe she asked him if he had a place to live. She told him to go up togo up to Brompton Hill to where she worked for a rich guy she told him to meet her there the next day. So he takes her offer and he meets her there she said that he can sleep in the barn on the second floor she said she already put hay up there for him. He lives there for a week until he meet a soilder and the soilder ask if he can run a errond for him Rufus took the offer and the soilder aid him that he'll pay him a dollar and fifty cents so he did. after a month of doing that the war started and he had to quit running erronds.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Death and carnage at Stonewall, June 20, 2006

By	Golden Lion "Reader" (North Ogden, Ut United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The journal of Rufus Rowe brings the reader into the mind of a young 16-year boy. Rufus witness the horror of war: "I shall never forget the smell of gun power" and "broken windows, furniture in the streets, and houses on fire" and "defeat in war means loss and victory in war means loss". Rufus patriotism and love Fredricksburg and Virginia was replaced by the burdens of carnage, death, and suffering.

Rufus felt and witness the raw carnage of war; the dead horses, the deafening boom of cannon and gun fire, the exhaustion and hunger, soldiers stripping clothes and items off dead soldiers, truces agreed upon too bury the dead, the illogical carnage that resulted from Yankees charging stonewall. Rufus discovered Soldiers consume massive amounts of pork, beans, and gruel. All of Rufus's chickens were stolen. Food became scarce.

The battle of Fredricksburg favored the confederates even though the Yankees number 115,000 and the Rebels 78,000. The Yankees were trapped into a pocket with only one direction of movement, forward. The confederate sharpshooters shot the Yankees with deadly accuracy. In scene, Yankee casualties reached 200 in one charge. The battle of Fredricksburg was a serious Union defeat, but not the end too the war. Union generals and soldiers had an endless supply of replacements.

Many Confederate Generals were involved in the battle of Fredricksburg. The battle of Fredricksburg formed a defense formation from right to left starting with Jeb Staurt, next Gen Robert E Lee, Gen Longstreet, and Hooker too the left. Rufus overheard on fat man brag about Jeb Staurt out whitting the Yankees with a calvery flank move to the right and predicted the war would be over in "six months". The war would last three years.

In one scene, the Yankees played "The Star Spangled Banner" and other Yankee patriotic songs, but when the union musicians played "Dixie" a roar of cheers and shouts climaxed on the rebel side. Union General Burnside felt capturing Fredricksburg was a strategic prize. President Lincoln lost confidence in General Burnsides lack of aggression and replace him. The delay in building the bridge had allowed the confederate armies to arrive and anchor into place. President Lincoln was angered by the delay.

The Yankees had to cross the Rappahannock River before gaining access to the interior of the city. The battle was delay for one week until the Pontoon bridges arrived. The Union soldiers received Rebel gunfire while they installed the pontoon bridge necessary for crossing the Rappahannock River. The Union army was able to cross over the Rappahannock River and march into Fredricksburg.

Confederate General Lee ordered the evacuation of Fredricksburg. Civilians departed their homes and many walked out of the city with their possessions. Rufus dreamed he saw a little girl carrying her doll out of the city. The little girl struggled to carry the doll and at the same time keep pace with her party. Rufus prayed for the little girl in his dreams and hope she would be able to keep her doll and exist the city.

Rufus would return home too his mother before the battle was over. Rufus arrived at dinnertime, Saturday dinners were large and he appreciated the food. The prodigal son had returned home and Rufus's mother affection for him demanded she not leave his side. The mother was not to blame. The mother's husband ran off when Rufus was two. Rufus was the man of the house, but when his mother remarried a businessman, whose profession was timber, the man treated Rufus both harshly and cruelly. Rufus despised his stepfather's cruelty and ran away from home and Rufus earned money for food by purchasing merchandise for the confederate soldiers. Upon return home Rufus told his mother about the progress of the battle and the stepfather excused his poor treatment of Rufus by blaming the ailing timber business. Rufus agreed that amends had been given and properly received.

Peg and Evelyn noticed Rufus and provided him a place to sleep, work, and eat; however, Evelyn's father pretended that Rufus did not exists, but allowed him to stay. Rufus friend was a George, one of the house slaves. As the fighting commenced Peg, Evelyn, and her father departed Brompton too live in a neighboring city with a higher elevation. George made Rufus promise he would hide during the fighting; good advice that would save Rufus's life. Once Confederate soldiers shot at Federate Soldiers from the second floor window of the home and bullets sprayed the home and a canyon ball knocked out one of the columns too the home.

Rufus became a friend with Captain Nelson. Captain Nelson provided information about the battle. Captain Nelson told Rufus about causalities and updated him on the progress of the battle.

Major General William B. Franklin attacked from two small divisions - Major General George G. Meade and Major General John Gibbon. Mead's troops broke through but Jackson's men expelled the federals. Burnside launched his attack from Fredericksburg against the Confederate left on Marye's height. Stonewall provided the fortress of protection and allowed the Rebels to move down the Yankees with precision. Not a single Federal soldier reached longstreet's line." Rufus explains that the confederates did not kill in cold blood, if a union soldier was trying to help a fallen comrade, the shots would go high.

"On December 15, Burnside ordered his beaten army back across the Rappahannock. The Union had lost 13,000 soldiers in a battle in which the dreadful carnage was matched only by its futility"

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Plain., September 18, 2006

By	MAB (USA) - See all my reviews

"The Journal of Rufus Rowe" I found to be boring. I was looking forward to this book since it comes from the stand point of the Confederate, but I felt it didn't come from either side - but neutral. I think I find author Sid Hite's writing to be bland, as I've yet to find a book he's writing that I like. I felt the journal entries were lacking and history was not presented in an interesting fashion. I do not recommend.