Captain Horace

by Sophie May

Downloads: Under 100
Pages: 71

Read PDF online Download Save

About this book

Beside the Ohio River in Indiana, Horace Clifford dreams of becoming a soldier while his sister Grace imagines the stars as golden harps. Sophie May opens this children's story with their evening at home, a geography lesson and a batch of molasses candy. Horace's eagerness to train for military life soon enters the breakfast conversation, where his parents explain what duty and sacrifice can mean.

The Civil War reaches the family through his father's service and the parcels prepared for him. Horace delights in a soldier's outfit, asks for a drum and carves a toy steamboat, but he also offers his savings for sick soldiers. Mischief, affection and honesty shape the portrait of a boy whose good intentions still need guidance. The domestic scenes give readers a child's view of wartime hopes and family responsibilities.