If you think those involved in the Civil War had their hands full without any time for humor think again. Thanks to Charles H. Hayes who has compiled a delightful collection of limericks concerning people or events tied to the American Civil War we see the people as very real human beings and the events as landmark happenings.
Cartoonist/ poet Hayes accompanies each of his limericks with a caricature and a brief description of the person or event that inspired the rhyme. So readers are not only amused but they’re learning a few things, too.
For instance, Hayes’s opening limerick is titled “Webster, Calhoun, and Clay - The Missouri Compromise.” Following the smile provoking rhyme we’re reminded that these three statesmen from different parts of the country often worked together in the Senate to avoid a crisis by coming up with a compromise. Of course, the most significant of these was the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
And so it goes through 96 limericks and the same number of reminders of what occurred during the time of the Civil War. This small book is a gem not only for the cleverness of its presentation but for the information shared about the early days of our country.
- Gail Cooke
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