A Mississippi Native Son’s Notes on Civil War History

Ms. Mitchell was my eighth-grade history teacher. She stood about four-foot-nine, a dynamo with a disarming smile. She used to sing, but she damaged her vocal chords. I don’t remember how. Such forgetting comes with time. I do remember Ms. Mitchell needed a microphone to teach. With her somewhat raspy voice and the crackling static from the amplifier, she made history leap from the page.

The Civil War was my favorite topic. The battles and heroic generals stoked my imagination: General Robert E.