A Lincoln Conscript

In the heat of July 1863, as Lee’s army clashed with Union forces over the fields of Gettysburg, the quiet village of Mount Hermon in Pennsylvania prepares its own fight. Though the plateau lies far from the front lines, its citizens feel the war’s pulse and answer the governor’s call for emergency troops. Boys ranging from eight to eighteen gather on the green for nightly drills, their play mingled with a fierce desire to prove themselves worthy of the cause.

The story follows a tall, shy seventeen‑year‑old who slips into the ranks at the last moment, watched by an earnest sergeant who misplaces his roll and improvises a makeshift tally. As names are shouted—Albright, Valentine, Bannister—the tension between youthful enthusiasm and the looming reality of conscription builds. The narrative captures the anxiety of families, the pride of a community, and the personal weight of answering a nation’s urgent summons.