The Characters
Read on to learn more about each of the excerpts and their characters! Each narrative is connected in one way or another. Can you figure out how?
"My dearest love, oh my dearest love I like how he did that. See his messy scribbles it has to be him. My face feels wet like dripping now the paper is soggy. My drrrrrt love it says drrrrrt but still sweet like the time he asked me that question but I couldn't say anything no nothing I was so happy. And now the wet won't stop I thought the worst I mean everything was falling or dark or something where nothing made any sense. But no my drrrrrt love is out there somewhere out there for me for us. Remember an hour ago when I thought oh how silly when I thought I wouldn't see his messy scribbles like I would be remembering that blank expression his back to my face walking away far away and me wondering what was going to happen. The not knowing now to the knowing and not forgetting his face on repeat my eyes puffed shut but smiling dancing funny. It's all funny now isn't that funny. Sincerely your love sincerely drrrrrt my drrrrrt love just a little longer remember when you asked me do you remember? Sincerely I remember I know you do it won't be long."
Margaret Sutton
Date of Birth: December 3, 1845
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Age: 16
Bio: A young girl born to a wealthy family on one of the plantations in Tuscaloosa County, Margaret has never known much hardship in her life. She met Samuel Howard when he began attending school at The University of Alabama just before the war broke out. Their courtship was brief but sincere, and Samuel thought it best to get engaged before going off to fight. Just days after Alabama seceded from the Union, Samuel proposed, fulfilling all of Margaret's wildest dreams. She plays her part as the doting fiancee, waiting longingly for her soldier to come home. In this excerpt, Margaret receives a letter from Samuel after the Battle of Shiloh assuring her that he is safe.
"You. Just do it maybe if I close my eyes or no that wouldn't work but then I could go over there and forget. You your eyes looking at me you. Still, quiet, only the wind and the constant popping in my ears. Pop pop pop one two three how many is it now? I want to do it yes they told me to yes that's why I'm here yes. But then why are we just standing here like trees like old stupid trees or like blind people who have no idea what's two feet in front of them? You. Maybe nobody will know that I didn't do it maybe I'll turn away like I didn't see oh yes I didn't see anything in fact I'm feeling sick yes sick. But no don't doubt me I'll do it I swear I'll do it you know I will. But you. No I can't I won't I'll never forget you I'll never forget. You your eyes looking at me you. You I won't forget you."
Charles Schooley
Date of Birth: October 10, 1842
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Age: 19
Bio: Charles Schooley has always been a hotheaded boy, and his disposition remains as unruly as the mess of hair upon his head. When news of the war broke out, Charles was torn between desperately wanting to fight and needing to stay home to care for his widowed mother, Ann. They were each others' only family. When Charles heard rumors of a draft coming into place, he couldn't wait any longer and enlisted, kissing his mother goodbye and promising his safe return with a smile. In this excerpt, Charles is caught in the middle of the fighting at Shiloh when his eyes land on a Confederate Soldier. The two stare at one another through the rage of the fight.
Old Miss Betsy opening the door looks like she could use a break. We all could use a break but maybe I just need one or what if I broke the glass see that's what I need back there. Everything is old and dusty and rusty and no not rusty just old like when people used to wear those ugly long coats. I can see them standing there with those polished buttons with noses up no with middle fingers up. Turn the page. Did they deserve it probably they deserved it they were wrong. Miss Betsy coming over to see if I need help. Yes I need help old lady I need help figuring out why people are assholes. Yes I'll make a copy yes I'd love to think about this again later yes I hope you have a pleasant afternoon too. Only if that weird old smell doesn't follow me out. Always those ugly polished buttons.
Garrett Ferguson
Date of Birth: May 18, 1996
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Age: 19
Bio: Garrett is a sophomore at The University of Alabama. He's never been very fond of studying, but his family has attended the University for generations, and he had to follow in his father's footsteps. Garrett is studying business and has a hard time caring about the work assigned in any of his classes, most especially his general education requirements. In this excerpt, Garrett is doing independent research on a project on the Battle of Shiloh for his United States history survey.
His eyes are a blur or no maybe that's my eyes maybe the wind doesn't want me to see. Yes the wind is on my side on our side it's been with us the whole time and we didn't even know. It's blowing his hair now lightly blowing his hair and there's that one piece he needs to cut. I guess I could tell him should I tell him? She would tell him like she tells me. It's like in the nighttime when I try to scream but nothing comes out and I stand there like my body is fear with my mouth open muted while everything else around me is shouting and yelling and crying. There with my throat burning on fire flames leaping out everywhere but nobody hears nobody even sees now my whole body on fire. I'm on fire, look at me I'm on fire! And now him standing there not seeing the flames not seeing the burning just staring not saying not speaking not telling. He could do it right here right now but he's not I guess I could too. But I won't I can't maybe not him either maybe we're both in the flames. I can't even hear the noise I won't listen I'll just stand. I won't, he won't, we're just going to stand here not speaking not hearing and we'll both just burn until the sun dies with us.
Samuel Howard
Date of Birth: February 21, 1844
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Age: 18
Bio: Samuel Howard was born and bred a gentleman. The youngest of his many brothers, Samuel has always been driven by competition. His rough and cool demeanor softened when he moved away from his family's plantation outside of Tuscaloosa to attend school at The University of Alabama. Free from the pressure of his older brothers and swept away in love with a beautiful belle from down the road, Samuel had hardly realized that a war was brewing around him. Just after Alabama seceded, he requested to be married to Miss Margaret and enlisted for the cause. As he headed off to war, he found it hard to focus on the battle when he longed to be back home. In this excerpt, Samuel is in the midst of the Battle of Shiloh, having just caught the eye of a Union soldier.
"Oh what delight what beautiful delight. Delicate dresses soft beauty colorful ribbons perfect curls. But it's not about that is it no it's about the grace the poise the regality. So much dignity in one person in one woman in one manless woman she said goodbye to everyone but every day she gets up and gets dressed and gets ready and gets beautiful. Beautiful, yes, beautiful. Oh if it was me I would sigh all the time no tears no ugly tears just light sighs like everything is so awful yes so awful but I must go on I absolutely must. And people brushing my hair and helping me dress and yes ma'am yes ma'am yes ma'am. And I would say do you think they'll come home soon and then don't know ma'am don't know. I hope it's not too bloody no of course not things are looking up aren't they? It'll all be over soon yes and we will be happy oh so happy but enough thinking for now brush my hair again yes. Oh yes, brush my hair, yes."
Emma Leigh Howard
Date of Birth: August 19, 1997
Hometown: Mobile, AL
Age: 18
Bio: Emma Leigh fancies herself a southern belle through and through. She knows all of the stories, can trace her lineage all the way back to the Civil War, and has seen Gone With the Wind more times than she can count. A freshman at The University of Alabama, Emma Leigh follows generations of women in her family as a legacy on campus. Her family is well established in the state and she wants nothing more than to continue her family's traditions and marry soon. She's quickly found herself Garrett, the son of a family friend, and the two have been going steady for nearly a year now. In this excerpt, Emma Leigh is lost in a daydream, imagining what her thrice-great grandmother must have felt when her beau was off at war.
"Funny isn't it? How it keeps repeating itself over and over but different pretending it's changed but really it's just the same old garbage as before like we won't notice if they just reword it like we're just going to give up and accept it. His face looks so satisfied so smug so content he needs to wake up and realize what he's doing what they're all doing why are they doing it? They need to know don't they that I'll never accept it not even when I'm crawling with the worms and maggots under the ground with a makeshift stone marking my bed saying 'here lies nobody cares' and when people will be saying what did he do? and I'll be rolling over again and again never still. Funny isn't it how it's all just the same isn't it funny? It'll all be funny when I see his face ripped up under my fingernails and his smile gone so nobody has to ever see it again or no maybe I'll let him sit facing the wooden cross like wicked atonement and he'll rot with it when I'm rolling over again and again. Marked by stone, marked by wood. Marking me marking him marking us we're all marked."
Stephen Dupree
Date of Birth: November 2, 1943
Hometown: Selma, AL
Age: 25
Bio: Stephen was born the great-grandson of a slave, left out on her own after the war had ended and her freedom was won. Stephen grew up hearing stories from his grandmother about his great-grandmother, and even though she passed before he was born, he knew that she was a strong woman. He thought of her often while he watched the nation struggle with itself, once again coming to terms with the race of so many of its citizens. He marched, he fought, and he rode. He followed great leaders and even lead a few followers. When he thought of his great-grandmother, he would think of how much had changed and then would realize how much hadn't. In this excerpt, Stephen has found an old photograph of a Confederate soldier amongst his great-grandmother's things.
"Follow follow every time follow even when I know it'll be ouch ooh ouch with pretty words in between. Like there's asking in the telling like there's knowing in the needing and everything light with the sun shining through and the reflections of us coming into the mess. But always a kind smile always a pretty smile always a knowing smile asking no telling. But who if not that if not known if not seen? Always seeing the furled and unfurled neat and clean like the sweetest thing and sometimes we don't even remember it's a dream and we follow follow every time follow. And the shouts becoming questions and the questions becoming statements and the statements becoming nothing. Is following the asking or the telling or nothing what is nothing who are nothing?"
Missy Sutton
Date of Birth: 1846 or 1847
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Age: About 14
Bio: Missy was born on a plantation in South Carolina, but was sold at a young age, beginning a series of transactions that ultimately ended in Tuscaloosa, Alabama working as a personal servant for Miss Margaret Sutton, the youngest of the Sutton girls. Missy tried not to think much of her time in South Carolina, since every time she tried to remember her mother, it became harder and harder and eventually, she couldn't find it in her to hold on. Day after day she would silently contemplate her bondage, often wanting to run away, but never having the means. In this excerpt, Missy is brushing Miss Margaret's hair as she half-heartedly listens to her mistress' worried rambling.
"The chair sitting there knowing and remembering a dozen pasts I'll never see never fathom never hurt for. Sitting there holy unclean unsure waiting for her to come waiting for the next speck of dirt dropping from above like a God-sent gift saying here take what's yours. But she's coming and when she comes when she sits when she opens herself and the words fall out the room takes a breath and coughs up mud. Some way she sees sun through it caked on every surface caked on her face like a plaster mold and the air getting thinner but maybe she can't feel it maybe it's me maybe I'm the one who has to. And the chair still sitting there remembering and me wanting the telling the words filling me up fattened bloating. Stains with eyes creeping dirt saying leave leave you don't have to and me saying tell me tell me and all the while the words spilling out. My ears to the roof but the mud is rising hardening suffocating blinding and all I can see is the chair that dirty remembering chair."
Hattie Sutton
Date of Birth: March 28, 1878
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Age: 10
Bio: Born at the close of reconstruction to a mother who'd been left tragically widowed, Hattie lived a life of desperate poverty. Her childhood was filled with hard work, caring for her mother and wishing she could go to school like some of the other kids did. But she knew that she had other responsibilities, even as such a young girl. Her mother never sheilded her from the greusome details of her past, and Hattie was very fond of hearing stories about the white family who lived up the road and what they were like during the big war. She loved to listen to her mother and craved more and more information about her past. Her mother often grew tired of her questions, having only short and vague answers for nearly all of them. In this excerpt, Hattie is watching her mother's old chair, longing to hear more of a story that ended too soon.
"Oh if there were a thousand more yesterdays last weeks last years then there wouldn't be the sea taste in my mouth the ugly texture on my dry tongue. A thousand and one even and I wouldn't be saying why all the time. No need to even speak anyway that's all that's left the words are set frozen stolen away in the dead of night when I didn't even know I could be missing them. What do I do with those wasted hours with those moments I could have been remembering thinking picturing and now all gone in one blink all in one giant mess and no name to blame. Now left with nothing just blank white space and me ripping out hair from the roots wanting it all gone every last piece. Screaming wouldn't do it leaving wouldn't do it ripping tearing clawing wouldn't do it there's nothing I have nothing and I don't I can't remember I won't."
Ann Schooley
Date of Birth: January 13, 1825
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Age: 37
Bio: Born the eldest daughter of a presbyterian minister, Mrs. Ann Schooley lived her life as faithfully as she could. She married young and was unfortunate enough to lose her husband after only having one son, Charles. She channeled her grief at the loss of her husband into the care and upbringing of Charles, and he quickly and easily became the center of her world. Although he could be difficult at times, his affection for her was nearly as strong as hers for him. When the southern states began to secede and Charles enlisted to fight before a draft was even declared, Ann felt deep hurt and anxiety knowing her boy was off fighting a battle she didn't know anything about. She lived for his letters, praying for the Confederates' surrender and the day he'd return to her. In this excerpt, Ann reecives a public notice from a neighbor which lists Charles as killed in action at the Battle of Shiloh, which had occurred nearly a month prior.
"Miss Shoe she always says Miss Shoe which is strange isn't it I guess she likes my shoes they are quite pretty. He always seems to say they're pretty doesn't he always say that who can remember. Let's go outside she says yes let's but we should wait for him first he loves it out there it's his favorite place and he's as tall as the trees isn't that something? Yes wait we'll just wait but she never wants that does she she's always telling me no maybe she just hates my shoes. Her eyes are on me again like usual like she wants something from me oh well I'll never understand her. Let me take you outside no I already told you we're not going why do you hate him? I don't hate him I just want to see the sun let's go out it's beautiful no no I won't allow it we will wait he is coming we will wait."
Ann Schooley
Date of Birth: January 13, 1825
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Age: 75
Bio: Decades have passed since Ann received the notice of her son's death. She never did recover from the shock of losing her only family, and as she grew older, her mind slowly left her. She spends her remaining days at a home for elderly women, being waited on by her nurse, Hattie. In this excerpt, Hattie is attempting to coax Ann into getting outside for some fresh air.