A Daunting Task

          The search for what my final paper will be about continues; although, I have narrowed it down to the Civil War.  First I thought about guerrilla tactics but the lack of primary sources from guerrillas seemed like too large of a barrier for the paper to be strong.  Then I went to the idea of medicine in the Civil War and specifically Laudanum and whether or not it did more harm than good when prescribed.  Then I thought about examining the socio-economic reasons for the war and whether or not the Confederacy was fighting for slavery in order to keep impoverished whites in a false state of superiority.  Now I have stumbled across a movie call the "Field of Lost Shoes." 
         This movie is about the Virginia Military Institute's role in the Civil War.  The movies follows 7 friends who are all very young as they go in to battle at New Markey.  Initially the Confederate General John C. Breckenridge did not want to send them in but when the battle turned South in the movie he said, 'Send the boys in... and may God forgive me."  I guess what I am getting at here is that I would like to examine children's role in the Civil War both in actively taking part in the killing as in the "Field of Lost Shoes" and when they where drummers or powder monkeys simply aiding in the war effort.  All of these positions were dangerous and saw child casualties. 
          The picture is of a Union powder monkey and the link is to the imdb page that has a summary of the "Field of Lost Shoes."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2477218/