Journeys Through Bookland Volume X Part 54

1. _The Legends of King Arthur_ (Volume V, beginning on page 113).

2. _The Attack on the Castle_ (Volume IV, page 322).

3. _The Battle of Hastings_ (Volume IX, page 330).

4. _Beowulf and Grendel_ (Volume III, page 350).

5. _Chevy Chase_ (Volume IV, page 312).

6. _Frithiof the Bold_ (Volume III, page 394).

7. The myths of the Northland, viz.: _How the Wolf Was Bound_ (Volume II, page 91); _The Death of Balder_ (Volume II, page 99); _The Punishment of Loki_ (Volume II, page 111); and part of _Stories of the Creation_ (Volume IV, page 159).

8. _A Norse Lullaby_ (Volume I, page 246).

9. _The Tournament_ (Volume VI, page 38).

10. _The Skeleton in Armor_ (Volume V, page 327).

It will be noticed that while this outline is given for use with young children, it easily may be adapted to the use of older ones and may lead into a wide course in historical reading.

The textbook in history is necessarily brief and really little more than an outline of events. In many instances the book gives too much s.p.a.ce to battles, sieges and military movements and too little to the conditions of life, to manners, customs and causes and effects of events. Yet the textbook is a valuable guide and enables anyone to present the subject logically and to systematize what is learned, if nothing more.

What a wide range of subjects is covered in the study of history! What abundance of material for study is required! Dates must be learned and events arranged chronologically; maps must be studied, fixed in mind and made of real value by a comprehension of the things they are supposed to represent; military events must be understood in relation to the causes that lead to them and the results that follow. Some few battles or campaigns must be made vivid enough to give an idea of the expense, the labor, the suffering and the horrors involved in war; government, educational and religious inst.i.tutions, religious and social customs and financial methods must be studied; industries and amus.e.m.e.nts, the lives of the people, food and food supplies, the production of clothing and building material must be examined; in fact, each one of the multiform interests of humanity may be a fair topic for study at some time in the history cla.s.s.

Methods of instruction must be as varied as the subject-matter.

Sometimes drill is necessary to fix facts; again it is necessary to encourage the observation and study of persons, things and events about us; a third time, wide research and extensive reading are demanded; again, the feelings must be aroused, sentiment and enthusiasm encouraged, patriotism taught.

There is material for many of these exercises in _Journeys Through Bookland_.

As a type of study for the military campaign, we might take Burgoyne's campaign in the Revolution. From the textbook we may learn certain facts and encourage the pupils to group them as follows:

_Burgoyne's Campaign._

1. Conditions prior thereto: _a._ The British occupied only New York and Newport.

_b._ They understood the natural highway that existed along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River from the Saint Lawrence River to New York.

_c._ They resolved to establish a line of military posts along this highway.

2. Plan of Campaign: _a._ General Burgoyne was sent to Canada with 4,000 British regulars and 3,000 Hessians.

_b._ Canadians and Indians to the number of 1,000 joined the troops under Burgoyne.

_c._ St. Leger was sent to Oswego to descend the Mohawk, capture Fort Stanwix and join Burgoyne.

_d._ Burgoyne was to go through Richelieu River and Lake Champlain by boats; thence march to New York by land.

3. American Troops in Opposition: _a._ General St. Clair with 3,000 men at Ticonderoga.

_b._ General Schuyler with about 3,000 men on the Hudson.

4. Burgoyne's Advance: _a._ The trip to Ticonderoga made and the Americans dislodged from the fort.

_b._ The skirmish at Hubbardton was successful, but the Americans were not captured, and the delay to Burgoyne enabled St. Clair to join Schuyler.

_c._ The march to the Hudson was full of difficulties and discouragements: (1) Obstructed roads; destroyed bridges.

(2) Inadequate supplies.

(3) Deserting Indians.

(4) Leaving a third of his troops at Ticonderoga.

_d._ The Expedition against Bennington: (1) Colonel Baum sent to take supplies from the Americans there.

(2) Met General Stark with a force outnumbering him two or three to one.

(3) Rain delayed battle, and British entrenched.

(4) Baum surrounded; his force captured or killed, including a relief party under Riedesel.

_e._ St. Leger's Campaign.

(1) Unsuccessful battle at Oriskany.

(2) St. Leger retreated and disappeared from the region after a flight induced by a ruse invented by Benedict Arnold.

5. Burgoyne's Surrender.

_a._ He attempted to cut his way through the lines of the American troops which surrounded him.

_b._ Crossed the Hudson and met the Americans at Bemis Heights; defeated.

_c._ Defeated at Freeman's Farm.

_d._ Surrendered October 17, 1777.

6. Effects of the Surrender.

_a._ Gave the Americans many arms and munitions of war.

_b._ Gave the Americans greater confidence in themselves and their cause.

_c._ Caused great discouragement to the British, both at home and in the colonies.

_d._ Established the prestige of the American cause in Europe.

_e._ Secured the a.s.sistance of France.

_f._ Probably was the most influential single campaign in the war and largely instrumental in enabling the colonists to win.

The preceding outline is the framework for the study of one military campaign. In a school it would be the basis for topical recitations, but in itself it has neither interest nor vitality. The main points should be memorized so that facts learned subsequently may be logically arranged. When the general outline is mastered, teachers and pupils begin to fill in details from all available sources and create in the minds of the pupils vivid pictures of the scenes, a thorough understanding of the course of events, and a lively realization of the effect of this remarkable episode of a great war. At home it may be used in a similar manner.

To further a.s.sist in this instance and to furnish a type or model for succeeding studies, we will traverse the outline again, showing what may be done with it and how literature may lend its aid to the study of history. In _Journeys Through Bookland_ we have a long extract from _The Battle of Saratoga_ by Creasy (Volume IX, page 176). This will be the source of much of our information, and there are explanatory footnotes of considerable value. We reproduce here only the indices of the original outline:

1. _a_, _b_ and _c_. A good outline map of the colonies is necessary. It must show the location of bodies of water, natural thoroughfares, cities and forts. The map should be made for the purpose and contain no details beyond those necessary for an understanding of this campaign. A second map showing a strip of country from the Saint Lawrence to New York and wide enough to include all the operations of the armies should contain more detail and be used frequently as the study proceeds. It may be well for each child to draw this region in outline and fill in the details as his study proceeds. Read page 177, Volume IX.