Sean

It is an argument about war in general because it means nothing ever gets solved by fighting. Maybe he has seen what war can do to a person. So far I think the book is good. I think Sam is a cool character.

No I would not tell Father Sam was home because I would not want Sam and Father to fight. Betsy's role is to help Sam in any way and to inform Tim of Sam's status. I think she is a sneaky character and that she is cool. I think I would fare well if I lived back in the time of the American Revolution.

A. I felt scared for Tim when the officers were "interacting" with Father. I would have done the same thing if I were Tim. When Sam jumped on Tim I felt scared that Sam could have gotten hurt from the bayonet of the gun.
B. I think Father's next words would have been, I am so glad you came home.
C. Tim called Sam a coward because Sam would not give back the gun to keep Father from being hurt. I think that Sam is a coward because he would rather fight than to save Father from being hurt.

A. The thing that changes Tim's mind is when Mr. Heron asks him to take the "business letters" to Fairfield.
B. I think Mr. Heron is a rich man who thinks he can do whatever he wants to do. He thinks he can walk in and make somebody do something for himself.

A. I don't think that Tim should had lied to Father. I think he should have taken no for a no and just left the subject alone.
I don't trust Mr. Heron. I think he is spying on the Patriots and is sending reports to the British army.
I was surprised by the fight between Betsy and Tim.
B. So far I am enjoying the book and i can't wait to see what happens next.

A. The war is affecting Tim's family because Sam is fighting in it. They are worried that Sam will get injured or even die.
B. The war in the Middle-east is affecting my family because people we know have family or friends fighting in the war.
C. I thought that this chapter was exciting. I did not know what was going to happen when the cow-boys stopped Father and Tim.

A. Tim says that the war does not really have anything to do with them. He says that they are reminded of the war when a soldier comes through town who has been wounded. Tim does not know which side he is on. I was in suspense to see which way Father and Tim were going to choose to go home.
B. I am still a Patriot because I still believe that everyone should be free.

A. I think that Mr. Meeker was captured by the cow-boys. I don't think those guys that Tim met were the real cow-boys. I think Tim will feel strange without Father there.
B. I thought it was clever how Tim outsmarted the men on horseback.

“I still hadn’t figured out what he was fighting for. It 
seemed to me that we’d been free all along." Tim meant that they had not really seen the war. Tim has not been affected by the war because he has not seen a battle or he has not been in a battle.

A. What Tim means by "something big" is Sam feels that he can change something. He thinks he can make a difference in the world and that he can defeat the British.
B. I thought this chapter was very emotional because Sam had come home in the first time in 2 years.

A. The quote means that the people who died during the war have died for their country where as the living soldiers are still fighting.
B. I thought that this chapter was sad because the Meekers had found that their Father had died.

A The quote would inspire soldiers by trying to gain their freedom because they probably don't want to die.
B. I thought this chapter was good.

Patrick Henry rode on his horse so tall,
He probably thought he had it all,
Patrick Henry said, "Give me Liberty or give me Death",
When everyone heard this they took a deep breath,
George Washington he would call.

A. The irony of Sam's execution was that he was fighting for the Patriots for three years and he wouldn't betray them by stealing cattle.
B. Mr. Meeker's death was similar to Sam's death because Father was captured by the British and he was a Tory.
C. I thought that this chapter was very suspenseful because I didn't know what Tim was going to do to get Sam out of being executed.

A. I think that the Americans could have achieved some peace with talking but in the end I think they would have to go to war eventually because Britain would not have let them go.
B. I thought that this novel was good. I thought it gave an excellent description of what war can do to people and how their families are effected.