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The Beginning
The Red Badge of Courage began with the Union's 304th Regiment, farm boys from the state of New York, having camped for many months in North Virginia. They stayed in log huts and tents opposite the wooded hills. The men were restless because all they did was drill and they wanted to get involved in a battle. Henry Fleming was the main character and had dreamed for years about being a war hero. -
Doubts Begin
Jim Conklin, a friend, came into camp with news that they would soon be fighting. The men called him a liar because it felt like they were going to keep drilling forever. With the news of a possible fight, Henry got a little nervous and asked Jim if he would fight or run away from the fighting. Jim said he would do whatever the rest of the guys did, run or fight. Henry was relieved that someone else shared his doubts and fears. -
Marching Towards Battle
The 304th regiment marched until they met up with other regiments. They laughed and sang as they marched. When they went by a farm house one sloppy soldier tried to take a horse from the farm house and a young woman came out of the house yelling and hitting the soldier. The soldier let go of the horse to protect himself from her blows. The other soldiers had a good laugh about it. I think this probably made Henry wonder if he might do something that would cause them to laugh at him. -
The First Battle
Henry became more nervous as he thought about whether he really had enough courage to fight. As the Regiment marched into the woods, Henry saw his first corpse and the reality of war finally hit him. It wasn't long until the fighting began. Tom Wilson, Henry's friend, brought him a letter to give to Tom's parents because he didn't believe he would survive the battle. -
Henry's Regrets
Henry escaped from the front line and hid in some bushes where he heard a general telling how the regiment held the line. Henry thought to himself how stupid the men were to stay in such a dangerous place. On the other hand, he began worrying about being called a coward because he retreated instead of staying and fighting. -
Henry's Moment of Peace
As Henry walked through the woods away from the battle, he played with a squirrel and listened to insects and the singing of birds. He told the squirrel that he was smarter than the fighting men because he knew when to get away from trouble. Henry went further into the woods and suddenly stopped in a panic when he came upon a dead soldier sitting against a tree trunk. -
A Red Badge?
Henry joined up with some troops leaving the battle. He tried to find out where they had been and where they were going, but no one would listen to him. Henry grabbed one soldier by his arm but it scared the soldier and he hit Henry over the head with his rifle. Now Henry actually looked like he had been wounded in battle and he received sympathy from the other wounded soldiers. -
Henry's Return to the 304th
After being hit, Henry struggled to his feet, his head was bloody and he was in a lot of pain. He walked along with another regiment. After walking several hours, one of the other soldiers pointed out where the 304th was off in the distance. Henry stumbled but finally made it to their campfire, all of the time worrying that the men would ridicule him for deserting. -
Shot in the Head?
Henry ended up telling his friend Tom that he got shot in the head after being separated from the regiment. They cleaned and bandaged his head. Tom felt sorry for Henry and gave him his canteen and bed for the night. Tom even told Henry how brave he was and Henry didn't even deny it. -
The Battle is Over?
The firing quieted down so Henry thought it was all over. He gave a deep sigh and a smile and thought "I've done right well." He was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until someone yelled, "Here they come again!" (Crane 62) -
The Second Attack!
Henry was so tired he couldn't believe that the other side would have enough energy to fight again. He started shooting and every time the smoke cleared he could see the Rebels getting closer. Many of the men around him threw down their rifles and started running. Henry was so frightened that he started running away too. -
Inner Voices of Doubt
After seeing the corpse, Henry ran deeper into the woods to escape the sight. He kept hearing strange voices calling him a coward and a deserter (Crane 78). These were only his own doubts and fears. We all struggle with voices in our heads that question whether we are good enough, smart enough, or even popular enough. -
Jim's Red Badge of Courage
Henry came across his good friend, Jim Conklin. Jim was in really bad shape and about to die. As he watched Jim dying, he realized Jim had also earned his "Red Badge of Courage". Henry started thinking again about his lack of courage and being a deserter and worrying that others would find out. It is difficult to live with our weaknesses, but somehow it makes it even worse when we think others might find out about our mistakes and inadequacies. -
The Fighting Begins
As Henry saw another regiment retreating from fear, he wondered if the men in his regiment would have the courage to fight. But, as the bullets started flying past, all of those kinds of thoughts left him. He shot his gun wildly and then started calming down and shooting accurately. He became angry at himself and at his gun, that he could not kill more men and do it faster. When the fighting ended he saw that they had pushed the enemy back (Crane 56). -
Running Toward the Battle
Henry realized that he was headed toward the battle sounds. As night approached he came across a group of wounded soldiers which made him feel cowardly because he wasn't wounded. He believed each of these men had received their "Red Badge of Courage" and he envied them for it. He left the group to avoid questions about his injuries or lack of them! -
Which Side is Winning?
The next morning Tom seemed to be excited because he thought they are beating the Confederates. Henry told Tom what he had seen the day before which was that the Confederates were beating them! Tom asked for the letters back that were for his family because now he believed he was not going to get killed. -
The Reality of War!
The regiment fought across an open field. So many men were killed that the soldiers were paralyzed with fear. Tom Wilson fired a shot that got them going again. There was so much gun smoke that they could not see beyond their rifles. The desire to defend their flag kept them pushing on. -
From Coward to Hero!
The battle the next morning was intense, most of the troops felt like they were being defeated. Most of the men blamed the officers for their defeat. When they were told to retreat, Henry got mad and said they should not retreat but fight harder. Henry fought so hard that day that it amazed all the other troops. He became a hero that day. -
Becoming Heroes
The men of the 304th fought as hard as they could even though the general had called them, mule drivers. After the 3rd battle the general called them mud diggers because he believed they hadn't fought as hard and long as they should. The men were angry to be labeled this way and realized their efforts were not recognized or important. The colonel thought Henry and Tom should become major generals, because of carrying the flag and "howlin like Indians" (Crane 216). -
The Final Surge!
The men did not get to rest very long before another battle erupted. Henry continued to hold the flag as the regiment charged the enemy. Tom was able to get the Confederate flag from a dying rebel. The torn flag with its bullet holes was like so many of the soldiers, worn out and tattered. -
From Boy to Man
Thousands of soldiers lay strewn across the battlefield and into the woods. About 3,500 men were killed over a two day period. The battlefield must have been an awful sight with so many corpses. Even with all of the destruction, Henry came to realize that he went from being a coward to being a hero or from a boy to a man during those two days. His new outlook on life was like sun shining down on a fresh meadow. -
Are Our Lives Worth Anything?
Henry and Tom overheard the general and captain saying their regiment were "kind of wild and rather stupid ... and fought like a bunch of mule drivers." (Crane 172) However, they would be the regiment to lead a charge against the Confederate army with little hope of survival. Henry and Tom realized at that point that their lives were not very important in the whole scheme of things. Sometimes we feel the same way in this world with so many other people! -
The Ultimate Sign of Courage
Henry and Tom put down their rifles to carry the flag into battle. Putting down their rifles to carry their flag was a symbol of their willingness to risk their lives for their cause (Crane 193). Bullets came from every direction, it looked like a massacre. The men blamed their situation on incompetent leaders.
