16. Counting the combined total from both sides, which Civil War battle had the greatest number of troops present?
17. What native New Yorker joined Stonewall Jackson’s forces in March 1862 as chief cartographer/topographical engineer?
18. George A. Custer graduated 34th and last in the USMA class of June 1861. Who graduated first in that class?
19. For what kind of animal did the 102nd PA Volunteers exchange a Confederate prisoner at Belle Isle, VA?
20. (Two point question) About what Union general and one-time Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives did Rev. William Makepeace Thayer write the book, “The Bobbin Boy, or How Nat Got His Learning.”
Answers to the questions for Week 4 will be due by 6 PM EDT on Saturday, September 10.
16. Respectfully, Bill Clinton would have a field day with this question. It is obviously the intent of the draftsman that "present" does not mean actually engaged for if he meant actually engaged he knew how to say so. One dictionary defines "present" as "being at hand". Now what does that mean? Is a reserve 1 mile away "present" but one 5 miles away "not present"? Another issue is the use of the singular of the word "battle", not "battles". And what is the distinction between a "battle" and a "campaign"? Is it the campaign of Second Bull Run, or the single battle of Second Bull Run, or is Groveton a separate battle? Anyway, since most references are to the Seven Days Battles and not the Seven Days Battle I have eliminated that battle or battles from consideration. I believe this would leave Fredericksburg with the greatest number of troops "present", not engaged, but present. (Even if the Seven Days was considered, it would probably still be too close to call between it and Fredericksburg).
17. Jedediah Hotchkiss
18. Patrick O'Rorke (not to be confused with Henry Algernon du Pont)
16. My source, which was a book titled “Trivia of the Civil War” by William C. Davis, said “Between 190,000 and 200,000 men were present at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, the greatest number of troops to be present at any battle of the Civil War.”
CindyScoops sent me a private message citing several sources indicating that the Battle of Chancellorsville involved at least as many troops, so I will give credit for that answer as well. (If anyone wants a list of her sources, let me know.)
Neither the Battle of Gettysburg nor the Battle of the Wilderness involved that many troops, so I will not give credit for those answers.
17. These job titles were held by Jackson’s chief map-maker, Jedediah Hotchkiss.
18. Patrick O’Rorke, who was killed at Little Round Top on July 2, 1863, while serving as colonel of the 140th New York, had graduated first in the class of June 1861.
19. The 102nd exchanged a Confederate prisoner for a dog. Specifically, they exchanged the prisoner for their mascot, named Dog Jack, who had been captured by the Confederates at Salem Church.
20. The book was written about Nathaniel Banks, who as a boy had worked replacing empty bobbins in a cotton-textile factory for $2 a week. The book was written after Banks had risen to prominence in Massachusetts politics to emphasize his humble background.
Because I'm late posting these answers, I'll extend the deadline for appeals to 6 PM Tuesday, Sept. 13, rather than the usual 6 PM Monday.