A Lincoln Conscript

Greene, Homer, 1853-1940Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 258K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Lincoln Conscript by Homer GreeneAuthor: Greene, Homer, 1853-1940,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Aug 11, 2015

Editor's review

A Lincoln Conscript comes from the American author Homer Greene, digitized and reprinted by Project Gutenberg. Classified as juvenile literature, the work is set during the American Civil War and builds its narrative around the historical situation of conscription, partaking of both the coming-of-age novel and the historical novel. Its appeal lies in presenting, through a boy's perspective, the circumstances and choices of ordinary people in wartime, turning historical events into felt personal experience; the emotional tone leans toward uplift and inspiration, making it a suitable introductory read for young people to understand a social side of the American Civil War. As an old public-domain work, its narrative pace and language carry clear marks of their era: the plot moves at a leisurely pace and characterization emphasizes moral appeal. Readers may attend both to the historical background and to the young protagonist's weighing of duty, family, and courage—still a meaningful reference point for discussions of growing up today.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers who want to learn about American Civil War society through story
Primary and secondary teachers and reading promoters who need juvenile historical fiction material
General readers who prefer themes of growth and responsibility and accept classic narrative pacing
Enthusiasts studying early American juvenile literature texts

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking rigorous military history and battle details of the Civil War
Readers used to fast-paced modern fiction and lacking patience
Beginning readers with weak English who need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Briefly learn about the American Civil War and conscription beforehand to better understand characters' motives.
Compare the protagonist's choices with contemporary issues of responsibility for young people; write a short review or hold a discussion afterward.
For classroom use, select key chapters and pair them with a historical timeline.
Accept the pacing of an old novel; don't chase plot density—focus on the characters' psychological changes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What age group is this book suitable for?

The original is classified as juvenile literature, with themes of a boy's growth and wartime choices; language and plot intensity are generally suitable for middle school readers and above. Younger readers are advised to read with a teacher or parent and discuss the historical background.

Do I need to know about the American Civil War before reading?

Not systematically, but understanding the outbreak of the war, conscription, and conditions on the home front will clearly lower the threshold. Read a brief historical overview first, then enter the novel—the characters' situations will be easier to grasp.

Is this historical nonfiction or a novel?

It is a fictional juvenile novel that builds its characters' story around the American Civil War and conscription; it is not a chronicle of military history. Readers should not treat it as a historical source, but can use it to sense the social atmosphere and ordinary people's circumstances of the time.

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About the author

Greene, Homer, 1853-1940 Author

Homer Greene (1853-1940) was an American author about whom public information is limited, and details of his life are now difficult to trace. Nine of his works are held in the collection, mostly centering on American history and mining life, with elements of coming-of-age and adventure stories. Representative works include Whispering Tongues, Burnham Breaker, The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines, Pickett's Gap, The Flag, A Lincoln Conscript, A Tale of the Tow-Path, and The Riverpark Rebellion. These works show that Greene drew on real historical settings, weaving the Civil War, the Lincoln era, and the conditions of coal miners into his plots. His narratives emphasize suspense and turns of fate, and his plain yet moving style suits young readers. His writing has some value in popularizing history and portraying ordinary people's choices amid great events, but because his life and books have long lacked systematic study, scholarly attention remains limited and further exploration is needed.