The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

  LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES

  In 1858, Abraham Lincoln had a series of debates with Stephen A. Douglas. Both men were running for the U.S. Senate and had passionate, opposing views. Lincoln favored banning slavery in the new states and territories. Douglas favored the rights of states to keep slavery legal if they so chose. Their speeches were carried in newspapers and avidly read by thousands of interested citizens. Douglas won the senate seat, but Lincoln became famous for his eloquence and went on to be elected president in 1860.

  MEDICINE SHOW

  A traveling entertainment show, often from a horse-drawn wagon, featuring music and performances of all kinds. The purpose of the free show was to attract customers for elixirs and bottled medicines.

  NEW WAYS OF WAGING WAR

  The American Civil War saw the first appearance of the following: steel ships, effective submarines, aerial reconnaissance balloons, military telegraph systems, the periscope (used to peer out of trenches), landmine fields, electrically exploded mines and bombs, the Gatling machine gun, flame throwers, long-range rifles, battle photographs, the conscription of men into the army, the Medal of Honor.

  PRIVY

  A small shack or closet that served as a bathroom, often located some distance from the house.

  QUAKERS

  Also known as the Religious Society of Friends. Quakers believe that humans should strive for simplicity, equality, and integrity, and should not engage in violence or war. In this book, a version of American Quaker ‘plain speech’ is spoken by Mr. Brewster.

  RAILROADS

  Crucial to the war for both sides. Many soldiers were transported near the battlefield by steam engine. Trains carried supplies and ammunition. Destruction of enemy trains and tracks was a high priority of both armies.

  SLAVE CATCHERS

  Bounty hunters who had the legal right to seize and transport fugitive slaves, returning them to their owners.

  TELEGRAPH

  Messages, signals, and orders were electrically transmitted by Morse code through thousands of miles of telegraph wires maintained by the Union Army.

  WAR

  The means by which tribes, clans, groups, and nations settle their differences by killing one another. The Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865.

  ARKANSAS TOOTHPICK: a long knife

  BEEHIVE: a backpack

  BIG BUGS: important people

  BILLY YANK: a Union soldier

  BREAD BAG: a supply bag worn over the shoulder; a haversack

  BUMBLE BEES: bullets

  BUMMER: a soldier who deliberately lags behind

  CABBAGING: stealing

  DOG ROBBER: a cook

  FIRE AND FALL BACK: vomit in fear

  FORTY DEAD MEN: forty rounds of ammo in the cartridge box

  FRESH FISH: new recruits

  GO BOIL YOUR SHIRT: take a hike; get lost

  GRAB A ROOT: eat

  GUNBOATS: army shoes

  HORSE COLLAR: a blanket roll

  JOHNNY REB: a Confederate soldier

  LAYOUTS; COFFEE COOLERS: those who avoided battle

  LET ’ER RIP: bring it on

  LUCIFERS: matches

  MUGGINS: a scoundrel

  OLD SCRATCH: the Devil

  OPENING THE BALL: begin the battle

  PEDDLE LEAD: shoot fast

  PIE EATER: a boy from the country

  RAG OUT: dress well

  QUICK STEP: diarrhea

  SHARP OPERATOR: someone who could sell manure to a stable; swindler

  SHIN PLASTERS: paper money

  SHOWING THE WHITE FEATHER: cowardice

  SQUASH MOLISHED: a soldier with a hangover

  SOMEBODY’S DARLIN’: an unidentified corpse

  SOW BELLY: bacon

  SPONDULIX: money

  TOP RAIL: first class

  TRAPS OR TRAPPINGS: a soldier’s possessions

  WEEVIL FODDER: hardtack

  WRATHY: angry

  About the Author

  After years of writing mysteries and suspense thrillers for adults, Rodman Philbrick wrote his first novel for young readers, Freak the Mighty, in 1993. In addition to being named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winning several state awards, it was also made into the Miramax feature film The Mighty in 1998. Years later, Philbrick returned with a sequel, Max the Mighty.

  In 1996, Philbrick presented readers with The Fire Pony, an award-winning novel about two brothers on the run in the American West. REM World, a page-turning fantasy, challenges the nature of reality, while Philbrick’s thought-provoking science-fiction novel The Last Book in the Universe takes readers to a chilling futuristic world where books will be wiped out forever unless one heroic boy manages to keep reading alive.

  In 2004, Philbrick drew upon his New England roots and knowledge of boat building to write The Young Man and the Sea, a poignant tale that parallels Hemingway’s classic novel. Philbrick’s most recent novel, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book.

  Rodman Philbrick has also written several spinetingling series for young readers with his wife, Lynn Harnett, including The House on Cherry Street and The Werewolf Chronicles. Rod and Lynn divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys. Visit him online at www.rodmanphilbrick.com.

  Q&A with Rodman Philbrick

  Q: What attracted you to writing about the Civil War?

  A: When I was a kid, some of the coolest (and grossest) bubble gum cards were distributed on the one-hundred-year anniversary of the Civil War. The cards had vivid color illustrations of famous battles that included bayonet charges, cannons firing, men dying — it all seemed very exciting to a ten-year-old boy. Later I read a number of history books and novels about the institution of slavery and the Civil War, including The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Eventually I decided to write my own version of what happened, and to tell it from the viewpoint of a boy from rural Maine.

  Q: Is this book based on a real story?

  A: The story was inspired by real events and situations, but the main characters are fictional.

  Q: From hot-air ballooning to Civil War spies, what are some of the things in this book students and teachers might not know about this time period? In your research, did you uncover information that was new to you about the Civil War?

  A: I learned a lot while researching this book. One of the most interesting things was how modern the Civil War was in terms of weapons, and how primitive it was in terms of strategy. The new rifles could kill at a range of a half-mile, and yet men still charged one another on foot, often directly into a hail of bullets.

  Q: We’ve heard your family has extensive roots in Maine. Can you tell readers about this part of your family’s history? Did the Maine regiment featured in The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg tie into your family’s legacy?

  A: Although some of my ancestors participated in the Civil War, none fought under the command of Colonel Joshua Chamberlain — at least so far as I’m aware.

  Q: From Squint to Homer to Fenton J. Fleabottom, the names of the characters in this book are unusually colorful. You once said in a previous interview that names are important to you and you take a long time deciding on them. How did you come up with the characters’ names for this book?

  A: It sometimes takes a while, and a few false starts, but the characters eventually tell me their names.

  Q: People have compared your book to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Do you have any comments on that?

  A: The comparison is entirely correct. I greatly admire Mark Twain and had the character of Huck Finn in the back of my mind as an inspiration for Homer Figg, in the sense that Homer is an orphan boy telling his own story.

  Q: This was the first of your many novels to be chosen as a Newbery Honor Book — a highly coveted award. How did you feel when you found out about it?

  A: I felt and still feel profoundly grateful to all the librarians and teachers who have recommended
my books, and to all the readers who have read them.

  Q: You’ve mentioned that you wrote almost ten entire novels before one was accepted to be published. That’s a lot of waiting — and writing! How did you stay patient? What made you stick with it? And what advice would you give writers who are struggling because their work is not being noticed?

  A: I’ve never been patient. What I am, in my bones, is stubborn. I wanted to be a novelist and stuck to it until I finally learned how to tell a story that would interest readers. My best advice to aspiring writers? Don’t give up. Don’t ever, ever give up.

  Q: What were some of the challenges you faced when you started your career? Is there anything you would have done differently?

  A: As a young writer, I felt myself to be very much the outsider, in the sense that I didn’t know any published writers, nor did I have connections with any publishers. At times the experience of having novel after novel rejected weighed heavily. But all that rejection forced me to learn how to be a good storyteller, and in that sense those difficult years were probably well worth it.

  Q: Homer rides a horse, takes a train, sails on a ship, and leaps aboard a caravan to get to the different places he needs to go. What’s your favorite mode of transportation?

  A: I prefer to travel by water when possible. So put me down for “boats and ships.”

  Q: How did you come up with the idea of making Mr. Brewster a Quaker?

  A: Quakers were among the first people to openly question slavery. Mr. Brewster is a Quaker, a member of the Religious Society of Friends, because I loved the idea of having a character use the “plain speaking” that Quakers were famous for. It took me several tries and quite a bit of research to get it right. I certainly tried.

  Q: Would you want to live back then, in the nineteenth century?

  A: Oh, I’d love to visit certain times in history, but at the end of the day I want a hot shower and a wide-screen TV.

  Q: This book has garnered an enormous amount of attention and praise. Do you have a favorite part or character?

  A: I think the ending worked out pretty well, and for me the last few pages are often the hardest to get right. As to a favorite character, that would have to be Homer himself, because he never gives up.

  Q: What’s the biggest, best, worst, or funniest lie you ever told?

  A: I’ve never told a lie. Oops, I just did!

  Mrs. Bean’s Buttermilk Pancakes

  In The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, Mr. Brewster’s cook, Mrs. Bean, invites Homer into her kitchen after he faints from hunger. She cooks him up a plate of steaming pancakes with butter and maple syrup and crackling bacon on the side. It makes Homer feel better right away, and soon our hero is telling his tall tales once again. With the help of an adult, try making Mrs. Bean’s Buttermilk Pancakes from scratch!

  Ingredients (Makes 10 average-sized pancakes)

  1¾ cups flour

  1 egg

  1½ cups buttermilk

  3 tablespoons cooking oil

  2 tablespoons sugar

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  Maple syrup and/or butter (optional)

  Instructions

  Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, beat together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. (You can use a fork to do this.) Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy.

  Lightly grease a pan or griddle and warm to a medium heat. For an average-sized pancake, pour a hefty spoonful of batter into the pan and cook it until the underside has turned golden brown, or air bubbles have risen to the top of the cooking batter. Flip the pancake and cook it for the same amount of time on the opposite side, or until equally golden brown on the bottom.

  Serve pancakes hot with butter and maple syrup if you so desire. Try adding blueberries or sliced strawberries to the batter for extra flavor. And don’t forget what Homer would say: There’s nothing like the prospect of pancakes to make one smart-mouthed and sassy. So, watch your tongue as those pancakes hit your plate. Enjoy!

  Union Hardtack

  Civil War soldiers were often on the move to battle or new camps, and thus far away from towns with fresh food and supplies. They had to carry with them food that would last for long periods of time without spoiling and that would be easy to eat on the go. Hardtack is a biscuit that would stay fresh for months. Unfortunately, though, it didn’t have a lot of taste and was often rock-hard, so the soldiers made several funny names for it like “tooth duller” or “sheet iron cracker.” Northern manufacturers would bake it in their factories, package it, and send it out to the troops in crates. Depending on how far a soldier was from the manufacturer, the hardtack could be somewhat soft and fresh, or hard as nails. The Confederate soldiers had a similar provision called “Johnny Cake,” which was made out of cornmeal.

  With the help of an adult, try making some hardtack for yourself and your friends to see what it was like to eat as a Union soldier did in the Civil War!

  Ingredients (Makes 9 squares of hardtack)

  2 cups whole wheat flour

  1/2 to 3/4 cup water

  1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  1 to 2 teaspoons salt

  Instructions

  Preheat the oven to 375°.

  In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Be sure not to add too much water. The batter should be stiff and will probably require hand kneading in order to collect any stray pieces. Next, roll the batter out into a flat square, approximately half an inch thick. Place it on an ungreased baking sheet, and put the sheet in the oven. Bake for thirty minutes. After baking, remove the sheet from the oven, and slice the dough into nine three-inch squares. Use caution while doing this as both the pan and dough will be very hot! Then, punch six to nine holes in each square using a toothpick, but do not punch all the way through the dough. Turn each square over and repeat the holes on the other side. Return the hardening dough to the oven and bake for another thirty minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the hardtack in the oven as it cools. When your hardtack is done baking, it should be as hard and dry as a brick. Watch out, teeth!

  Civil War Times: Did You Know?

  Here are some fascinating facts from this time period.

  Did you know that Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee was once offered command of the Union Army?

  Virginia was a very important state to the Confederacy’s cause because it had the largest population in the South and more industrial resources than the first seven Confederate states put together. Robert E. Lee was also a valuable resource to Virginia. As the son of one of the oldest families in the state — the First Families of Virginia — he was a well-respected and prominent gentleman. He graduated second in his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point and went on to be a highly recognized officer for his performance in the Mexican War. He dedicated his career in the United States Army to the service of his country.

  Up until Virginia’s decision to secede from the Union on May 23, 1861, Lee had spoken against secession. He argued that our country had fought too hard in the 1700s to create a United States of America, and that it should only be dissolved by every member of the Union, not simply a faction. He also openly disagreed with slavery, claiming it to be immoral.

  On April 18, 1861, Winfield Scott, U.S. Army General-in-Chief and fellow Virginian, asked his comrade Robert E. Lee to accept command of the Union Army. This request came just one month after Lee’s promotion to full colonel in the U.S. Army, and it was a great compliment to Lee’s abilities as a soldier and leader. He responded to Scott with regret that he was not only turning down the offer of command but he was also resigning from the U.S. Army. Lee felt he could not turn his back on Virginia and its people, nor ever fight against them. Five days later, on April 23, Robert E. Lee became Commander-in-Chief of Vi
rginia’s forces.

  Did you know that sideburns were first worn during the Civil War?

  Not only was it difficult for soldiers to keep up with shaving their beards during the Civil War, but it was also fashionable. In the mid 1850s, the British style of growing beards came to the United States and quickly became stylish. It became rare to find a man who was clean-shaven during that period. All the prominent generals of the Civil War — both Union and Confederate — donned quite a bit of facial hair, from full beards to bushy mustaches. Ambrose Burnside developed a style of facial hair that became known as “sideboards” or “sideburns,” after his name.

  Did you know that some women secretly dressed as men so they could fight in the Civil War?

  In the nineteenth century, women and girls were forbidden to do many things. Gender roles were strict, and women were expected to stay close to home, maintaining the household, caring for children, and supporting the males in their families. So when a woman’s son, brother, or husband went off to fight in the Civil War, she was not allowed to go with him.

  But numerous women wanted to fight alongside men, to fight for their beliefs. Elaborate disguises worked well, so women cut their hair short like a man’s, dressed in men’s clothing, practiced masculine mannerisms and speech, and took on men’s names. Many of these women passed for men and were brought into the army, contributing successfully to the war effort for up to several years before being discovered. When a woman’s true gender became known, she was expelled from the army. Still, many moved on to join other regiments under similar disguises.