View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In July 1861, what battle caused Northern volunteers to flock to the army?
(a) Shiloh.
(b) Bull Run.
(c) Gettysburg.
(d) Chancellorville.

2. After the attack on Fort Sumter, all BUT WHICH of the following states joined the other seven Southern states that had seceded prior to April, 1861?
(a) Tennessee.
(b) Indiana.
(c) Virginia.
(d) North Carolina.

3. In the discussion of the officers' views on training, which of the following did a captain in the 85th New York NOT believe would get men to fight well?
(a) Drill.
(b) Leadership.
(c) Food.
(d) Discipline.

4. When discussing Jesse Beecher's service record, McPherson states that he fought in all BUT WHICH of the following states?
(a) North Carolina.
(b) Georgia.
(c) Virginia.
(d) South Carolina.

5. According to "Chapter 4: If I Flinched I Was Ruined," the ultimate test of leadership was what?
(a) Horsemanship.
(b) Combat.
(c) Relationships.
(d) Casualties.

Short Answer Questions

1. As the book opens, McPherson says that he took some Princeton students to Gettysburg in the spring of what year?

2. From which state was the soldier who wrote religious poetry while lying in the trenches, during the battle of Vicksburg?

3. After the battle of Fredericksburg, the 10th New York had fought six battles in as many months and had lost all but how many men?

4. As "Chapter 2: We Were in Earnest" opens, McPherson says that another name for the Civil War is what?

5. When the 7th Vermont was called forward in June 1862, which of the following regiments pouted while Vermont celebrated?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Chapter 1: This War is a Crusade," what difference does McPherson note between the Civil War and the Vietnam War?

2. During "Chapter 3: Anxious for the Fray," what attitude did the soldiers on both sides have about the upcoming war?

3. In the discussion of regimental bonding, what is "primary group cohesion"?

4. What generally happened to the relationships between soldiers and officers after they went through a battle together, as discussed in "Chapter 4: If I Flinched, I was Ruined"?

5. McPherson says that duty and honor were powerful motives for battle, and then goes on to say that they had to be because what modern elements were lacking in Civil War-era soldiers?

6. After saying that Civil War soldiers were the most literate in history, what facts and figures does McPherson cite that lend legitimacy to his sources for the book?

7. After the discussion of courage, bravery, and valor, what fear does McPherson say Civil War soldiers wrote even more about than the three-part concept of honor?

8. In "Chapter 6: A Band of Brothers," what three synonyms did Civil War soldiers write a great deal about?

9. For what purpose does McPherson relate the story of James and John Welsh in the opening of "Chapter 2: We Were in Earnest"?

10. How did the Calvinist doctrine of predestination factor into soldiers' lives in the discussion of religion?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,285 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample