It was an ordinary day.  The air was filled with the smell of harvesting tobacco.  I was reading a book and my Paw was outside milking the cows.  All of the sudden the only thing I could hear was the piercing sound of gunshots.  My Paw ran through the front door and we both scurried under the cabinet.  Finally, after what seemed like forever, the gunshots stopped. 

          Later that day my Paw said, “Sarah I’m going to join the Union Army”.  At first I thought he was joking, but to my horror he wasn’t.  A few minutes later he rode to the Talbot Tavern to sign his name on the list of soldiers.  The next morning my father gave me a kiss and rushed out the door.  I was left alone to take care of his farm! 

            A few weeks have passed and all I’ve been doing is weeding until all the blisters on my hands pop.  Today I’m not going work because it’s my birthday!  I’m 13!  I decided to go get a newspaper, since there’s nothing else to do.  I was reading about some chickens for sale, but in big bold letters I read Xavier Cooper died last Thursday.  I broke down in the middle of the road and started crying.  Not aware of what I was doing I started banging my head on the ground and blood started pouring out.  I was kicking and screaming.   Someone tried taking me home, but on the way there all I did was scratch and bite them. 

            A couple hours later I wasn’t sad anymore, but flushed with anger.  I remembered the rest of the article.  It said that a confederate soldier named Morris Mowrey killed my father.  I knew what I had to do.  I had to kill this man, and I would even if it was the last thing I did.  I was going to join the army. 

Before I went to town I went to the barbershop and got all of my hair cut off.  When I was at the Talbot Tavern I tried my hardest to act like a boy so that I could join the army. 

“Name?” asked the sergeant.

“Um… um… Sampson… um… Crooker.” I was lying through my teeth.

“Okay, Sampson I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you Sir.”

            Early the next morning I got dressed, ate some oatmeal, and walked out the door.  I didn’t want to leave the farm, but I knew I had to.  As soon as I saw the rest of the soldiers I thought that they would surely see that I was a girl.  I’ve been here two months now and so far I haven’t seen any Confederate soldiers.  It’s been hard, walking non-stop with blisters all over my feet.

            Today soldier Will Flunka became drunk.  He dared me to steal one of the Confederate’s horses.  Stupidly I accepted his dare.  I finally got to the Confederate soldier camp.  To my luck all of the soldiers were asleep.  I stole one of the fastest horses there was and started galloping away.  I heard a gunshot, then I felt a sharp blow hitting me in the back.  I fell off the horse!  Someone said “Crooker is dead!” … then I heard … dead silence.