er, Lincoln had asked for 75,000 volunteers to fight. Matt says that despite Congress not being in session, it is indeed war.
             That summer, largely to distract themselves from the burgeoning war, people in southern Illinois convene on the weekends for parties and balls. They hear about the battle of Bull Run, and everyone realizes this will be a longer, harder battle than they thought: "no more confident statements of ending the whole affair in one decisive swoop." Tom and Eb want to join the war effort as soon as possible, and John and Shadrach plan to join in mid-winter.
             Tom and Eb leave in late summer, amid news of more northern defeats, specifically one in Missouri. A Union commander and many soldiers from Illinois died there. Jethro absorbs all this information, particularly news of a brilliant Union general named McClellan. After Tom and Eb leave, Jethro sleeps in the same room as Bill and often wakes up having nightmares. One night Bill admits that his "'thinkin' is all of a tangle.... '" and tha
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