On Common Ground The beeping of the metal detector set his mind racing. And when he carefully discovered a small metal button, it murmured softly, speaking of a great general: “He possessed all the virtues of great commanders, without their vices. » April 12, 1861 – “At 4:30 a.m., Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard opened fire with 50 cannons on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina; the civil war begins” (historical site). There are around twenty lots in our neighborhood; the whole covers nearly three and a half acres. Most of the lots now have houses, all are large and well maintained; a perfect place to raise an upper middle class family. Just outside of Richmond, the Boscobel neighborhood gives individuals a constant taste of southern country air, a place to grow a garden, sit on the porch at night, and watch the stars .… Neighbors are nice when they greet each other. in passing. Families come together to picnic and cook and mothers go for walks with their dogs while the children are at school. The neighborhood children love to play by the creek in the backyard. They build forts and cabins, find pretend food and crawfish in the creek, and play hide-and-seek in the woods beyond the creek. This is the peaceful and daily life of the Boscobel district. April 17, 1861 – “Virginia secedes from the Union, followed within five weeks by Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina, thus forming a Confederacy of eleven states” (historical site). April 17. , 1861 - The Daily Richmond Examiner reads: The great event of all our lives has at last arrived. A war of gigantic proportions, infinite consequences and indefinite duration is upon us, and will affect the interests and happiness of every... middle of paper ...... that we have tried to instill in you. Never forget where these things come from. I now trust you to stand alone, to live out what I have taught you, and to teach others these virtues that have been passed down. » Works Cited Atherholt, Patricia. Interview. Telephone interview. March 30, 2002. Historyplace.com. The History Place - American Civil War 1861-1865. The History Place, 1996.Daniel, John MI New York: Arno & The New York Times, 1868. reprinted, 1970.Graham, O. Lee. Interview. Telephone interview. April 1, 2002. Jones, John Williams. I. Written around 1864. . April 17, 2002. Swank, Walbrook DI Charlottesville: Papercraft Printing & Design Company, Inc., 1991. Saverino, Chris. Interview. Telephone interview. March 29, 2002. Weigley, Russell F. I American Council of Learned Societies, Oxford University Press, 2000