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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Grant want most from the war?

2. Who prepares his Confederate cavalry to meet Sheridan's larger force?

3. When was the Gettsyburg conflict?

4. After the failed assault on Hancock's center when the log wall burned, the attack was repulsed. Who died?

5. Who does Lee go to visit that has become ill but still meets him on his horse on a small road?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is it hard to see the enemy in the wilderness that becomes apparent on the first full day of battle?

2. How does Lee take Longstreet's view of Grant into his planning for the war?

3. After the failed Hancock attack, what does Lee think about God and believe will happen to Longstreet?

4. What does Chamberlain find absurd yet necessary about desertion in the army?

5. Why does Grant fight in the Civil War?

6. Why is Lee unable to enjoy Christmas in Richmond?

7. What is the important lesson that Lincoln learns from Gettsyburg regarding Federal soldiers?

8. How does Grant relieve his frustration by cutting wood?

9. When Hancock says, "The soldiers have seen something new, a new horror, a new way to die. They have seen the face of hell," what does he imply about fire and fighting?

10. How does Shaara describe Chamberlain's return home to Maine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Shaara's use of humor in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of humor and explain why Shaara used them where he did.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in "The Last Full Measure". What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family of most Northern and Southern families living during the 1840s and 1850s in America?

Essay Topic 3

In "The Last Full Measure", Shaara's Civil War society shows a conscious selectivity about technology. What do you think of the technology employed by the Federal Army as compared to that of the Confederate soldiers? Which aspects do you find more or less appealing? How is technology associated with power and rebellion?

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