On Common GroundThe beep of the metal detector set his mind in motion. And when he carefully uncovered a small metal button, he whispered 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 opens fire with 50 guns on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina; the Civil War begins” (historyplace). There are about twenty lots in our neighborhood ; all consist of nearly three and a half acres. Now most of the lots have houses, all large and well-kept; a perfect place to raise an upper-middle class family people a constant taste of the southern country air, a place to grow a garden, to sit out on the porch at night and watch the stars... Neighbors are friendly as they say hello to one another and barbecues and mothers go for walks with their dogs while the children are at school. The neighborhood children love to play by the stream in the back yard. They build forts and huts, find pretend food and crayfish in the stream and play hide and seek in the woods beyond the stream. It's peaceful daily life in the Boscobel neighborhood. 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" (historic place). April 17, 1861- The Daily Richmond Examiner reads: The great event of all our lives has at last occurred. A war of gigantic proportions, of infinite consequences and of indefinite duration looms over us, and will affect the interests and happiness of every... means of paper... which I have tried to instill in you. Never forget where these things come from. I trust that you will now be on your own, to live 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 Place of History: 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. Telephone interview. 1 April 2002. Jones, John Williams. Written about 17 April 2002. Swank, Walbrook OF Charlottesville: Papercraft Printing & Design Company, Inc., 1991.Saverino, Chris. Telephone interview., 2000