Airhead101's+Across+Five+Aprils+Summaries+&+Vocab

Chapter 1 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Burlap** - a plain-woven, coarse fabric of jute, hemp, or the like
 * **Furrow** - a narrow groove made in the ground, esp. by a plow
 * **Reverberations** - a re-echoed sound
 * **Vanity**
 * **Chinch**
 * **Apathy**
 * **Telegraph**
 * **Melancholy**
 * **Comeuppance**
 * **Acrid**
 * **Crock**

Chapter One was about Jethro (Jeth) who starts picking potatos with his mother, Ellen Creighton. His mother tells about her 12 kids and how 3 are dead and 1 hasn't been seen in so long. Another person, Mary was shot by a hoodlum, Travis Burdow. The book intruduces Bill, John, Tom and Eb. Bill, John and Tom are Jeth's brothers and Eb is their cousin. Jethro's teacher, Shadrach Yale is leaving to start a school where Matt Crieghton, Jeth's Dad works. Jenny, one of the sisters reveals that to the reader that she likes Shad. Later Jenny and Nancy, who is John's wife prepare dinner and all the family sits down to eat. During the meal, Matt tells Jenny that he does not approve of her love for Shad. Later, Jeth and his mother go back to work in the fields and someone comes to visit them and bring news.
 * Chapter One Summary:**

Chapter 2 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Secesh**
 * **Tariff**
 * **Grieve**
 * **Feint**

Chapter Two was about the family sitting down to dinner and a person named Wilse, who is Ellen's sister's son. He comes with news about a death that occured in Kentucky. Then, the family brings up the Battle of Fort Sumter. they explain that both the North and the South fought for 30 hours, until the North surrendered. The family knows that on Congress can declare war, but one of the people in the family say that this is war, with or without Congress' decision. The family and Wilse view each other's prosepective of the war, which then turns into a big arguement. Ellen yells for them to stop the bickering and Wilse apoligizes for bringing up the subject.
 * Chapter Two Summary:**

Chapter 3 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Oratory**
 * **Tedium**
 * **Decisive**
 * **Abide**
 * **Scairt**
 * **Nullification**
 * **Blithely**
 * **Tumult**
 * **Wastrel**
 * **Perplexity**

Chapter Three has a lot of desicions. The Battle of Bull Run had just occured and John and Shad Yale want to go to war in the winter, while Tom and Eb have decided to join as so as possible. Tom and Eb leave in the summer and there is more talk on how the North has no chance to win and more of their terrible losses. Bill out of nowhere desides to leave the family and go someplace in which no one knows about. One day, when Bill had supposedly gone, Bill was found all bruised and beaten near the top of a hill. He explains that he and John got into a big fight on the war. Bill tells Jeth that he will go fight for the south, which could cause controversy in the family.
 * Chapter Three Summary:**

Chapters 4-6 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Wanly**
 * **Adjoining**
 * **Rebuke**
 * **Dispel**
 * **Mimicry**
 * **Skepticism**
 * **Hounding**
 * **Inevitably**
 * **Quagmire**
 * **Frailty**
 * **Ultimatum**
 * **Decency**
 * **Tranquil**

Chapter 4 was a victorious chapter. The news of the first won battle of the North is revealed. The excitment of the win and the great achivement of Ulysses S. Grant is spread. The family receives a letter from Tom and Eb. In their letter they entitle the facts about the win of the battle of Fort Henry. He decribes in detail about the not much fighting and the army's foolish mistake. They army did not want to lug around heavy blankets so they just threw them off and left them there. Though, when they got closer to Donelson, the weather started to cool down a lot and some the men froze to death in the snow. Him and eb said that they would write back soon and tell more about their adventures. After receiving the letter, Ellen sends Jethro off to see Shadrach and invite him to dinner. When Jeth is there he talks to shad a lot about the whole Jenny and Shad lovey-dovey situation and his studies. Chapter 5 is deciving. In the beginning, Ellen suffers from a massive head-ache or migrane and explains it is because there is no coffee. Jeth is sent out, to get the coffee in which he goes to Nancy to borrow some. On his way back, he stops and grabs a bite to eat that he brings with him. He can't afford to the high class restuarants so he packs his food. On his way back, people stop to talk to Jethro about his brother Bill. The people explain that Bill is a traitor to the town and the family, because he went to go fight for the South. Jeth tries to back Bill up because of the accusations. he doesn't know of the dangers that lie ahead. Chapter 6 was bad. The first occurance was that of Matt's heart attack. He was revived but, now he can not do a lot of his responsibilities. Jethro is now in charge of those responsibilities. Also, the family hadn't heard from Tom and/or Eb in quite some time. Jenny receives a letter from Shad but, some parts of the letter had read to the family but, the other half she kept to herself. Jeth gets mad at her, but Jenny talks to him and explains why she didn't want to read the letter. She gives Jethro the chance to read it but, Jeth doesn't mind. To end the chapter, people had burned down the Crieghton barn and dumped oil into their well.
 * Chapter Four - Six Summary:**

Chapters 7-9 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Zeal**
 * **Plaudit**
 * **Lest**
 * **Inept**
 * **Dissuaded**
 * **Credance**

Chapter 7 brings sorrow to the entire family. Dan Lawerance, a person that was friends with Eb informs the family that after the battle of Shiloh. Both Tom and Dan were looking at boats. In this case, neither of them knew that reinforcments were on the ships and, Tom was shot. He had died instantly. Ross Milton, a newspaper reporter writes about the attack on the Creighton's, including the barn being burned down and the oil in th well. This chapter was plain and boring, not much had happened. Chapter 8 is almost the same as Chapter 7. More battles occur and Shad "worships" General McClellan. In Chapter 9, officers come to the Crieghton house hold to ask is Eb is at the household. he is being accused for one of the many that have deserted the army. The family responses saying that Eb was not at the house, because he honestly wasn't. One day, Jethro finds Eb hiding in a bush. Eb did desert the army, he told Jeth he could deal with the horror and torture. He couldn't take burying person after person, and the blood on the battle field. Eb was so disappointed about his desertion that he didn't want Ellen or Matt to find out that he was here, so Jeth begins to start bringing him food and other nesessities.
 * Chapter Seven - Nine Summary:**

Chapters 10-12 ~

 * Vocabulary**
 * **Egotism**
 * **Mired**
 * **Besigned**
 * **Cynically**
 * **Jubilanty**
 * **Dissolition**
 * **Aghast**
 * **Prepondence**

Chapter 10 was a happy chapter in a way. Matt finally allows Jenny to see Shad again. Though, he is in critical condition, they both get married on August 14th, 1863. The news of the battle of Chancellosville comes around. Along with the 3 day Battle of Gettysburg. Though, it is not mentioned in the book, President Abraham Lincoln does make his speech. The //Gettysburg Address//, which most people know from the first sentence. "//Four score, and 7 years ago."// Chapter 11 was very short. The Union as always has been losing battles one after another after another. Most people begin to doubt that the Union will win the Civil War. In addition, John writes a letter the family. Chapter 12 is where it all came together. The war is coming to an end and Jenny and Shad write a letter to Jethro inviting him to come with them and continue with his studies. Jeth excepts. Meanwhile, President Lincoln is murdered at the end.
 * Chapters Ten - Twelve Summary:**