OHP BOOK REVIEW: NEPTUNE'S HONOR, A STORY OF LOYALTY AND LOVE BY PAMELA MUELLER

Fiction, resources, 189 pp., 2005. Pinata Publishing, 112 Dunbarton Dr., St. Simons Island, GA, 31522. $10.99, plus shipping and handling.


Few War Between the States authors write expressly for the middle school age group. Neptune’s Honor, A Story of Loyalty and Love by Pamela Bauer Mueller is a recent historical fiction publication that boast of this attribute. The book is written from the viewpoint of Neptune Small, a black servant to the King family who lived in South Georgia, namely St. Simons Island. Neptune was the childhood friend and companion of Henry “Lordy” King. Their friendship was more like a kindred spirit, making them closer than brothers.

Mrs. Mueller’s research led her to several transcripts of interviews with the real Neptune Small. She attempted to use Neptune’s own words as much as possible when writing; yet, the author assumes many of Neptune’s feelings, thoughts and statements. The key element to remember is that this is a historical fiction based on a real person’s life. Mrs. Mueller is writing her interpretation of the events that transpired.

The story is very choppy, jumping from one event to another. Mrs. Mueller only includes significant dates that Neptune mentions in his writings or interviews but she does not develop the story, leaving the reader lacking in many crucial details.

The reader enjoys learning more about Neptune, but the other characters are not well established. There is an entourage of different individuals that are brought into the story, so the reader is overwhelmed as to what role each person plays.

The main flaw with this book is the writer’s inability to understand slavery in the 19th Century. Mrs. Mueller states in the forward, “My research of pre-Civil War local plantation families, coupled with transcripts of interviews with Neptune Small, gave me a sense that he felt sincere allegiance to the family that owned him.” This statement by itself would have been sufficient since 87% of the slaves interviewed in the Slave Narratives agreed with it; however, it is the 13% that the public hears about on a regular basis. Mrs. Mueller apparently wants the reader to be reminded of that small minority because she goes on to say, “This is not necessarily the experience of slaves living on other Georgia plantations.” Our culture has been indoctrinated that slaves were always beaten and ridiculed and never loved and honored as part of the family. The real Neptune Small’s story shows the reader that this is not so. It is unfortunate that Mrs. Mueller chooses to elude the reader in believing his story is a rare occurrence.

Throughout the book, Mrs. Mueller does not have historical facts correct. One such incident is when she has a dialogue between Neptune and Adam on July 30, 1861. In the conversation she implies that the North is fighting over slavery and Adam cannot understand why Neptune would want to follow Lordy into a war that will liberate him and other slaves. Mrs. Mueller’s research failed to show her that the United States Congress passed on July 23, 1861 a Congressional Resolution stating that the war not over slavery but preserving the Union. This was adopted just seven days before this supposed conversation.

Mrs. Mueller, like so many current authors, wants the reader to believe the war was only over slavery. The other misconception is that whites owned blacks and the slaves were beaten regularly. It is conveyed that slavery was a practice only in the South and never in the North. The in-depth research never reveals that there were a lot of blacks and white that did not own anyone and there were free men of color who owned blacks. Most people also overlook the fact that the Union General Ulysses S. Grant, along with others Northerners, owned slaves until after the War Between the States.

The story of Neptune Small is one that needs to be taught to the public; however, Mrs. Mueller’s interpretation should only be used with caution. Even as a fiction story, this book leads the reader to believe the words within its pages are true and well researched.

Written by Cassie A. Barrow

OHP BOOK REVIEW: PINK AND SAY BY PATRICIA POLACCO

Novel, illustrated, 1994. Philomel Books a division of The Putman & Grosset Group, 200 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016, $16.99 plus shipping.

Over the years, many books have become favorites of history teachers to help students better visualize a specific period of time. Pink and Say is used by many elementary and middle school teachers to discuss the War Between the States. Though it is listed as fiction, many educators try to state it is factual. With the sesquicentennial on the horizon, it is imperative to make sure what is being taught in the classroom is accurate and true.

The setting for Pink and Say is somewhere in Georgia after an unknown “fierce” battle in an unidentified year. The key characters are Pinkus Aylee, better known as Pink, a slave from Georgia, and Sheldon “Say” Russell Curtis, a young farm boy from Ohio. Both are fighting for the US Army. Pink stumbles upon Say, who had been wounded, in a “blood-soaked pasture” while in search for the 48th Colored Troops. Thus begins the story.

According to the author, Patricia Polacco, this account has been handed down through her family generation after generation and is true. Like with any folktale, there are elements based on fact, but much more is altered with time till the legitimacy of the account is questionable.

The first discrepancy in this publication is that the 48th Colored Troops were on garrison duty in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This regiment was organized on March 11, 1864. In reality, this regiment was never stationed in or near Georgia during the War Between the States. Additionally, General Sherman was against colored troops, so there were never any black regiments under his command. Upon future research, there is no documentation of a soldier by the name of Pinkus Aylee in any regiment in the Union Army according to the National Park Service. In considering the above facts, a shadow of doubt is put on the authenticity of the character of Pink.

Ms. Polacco states that Pink was owned by the family of Aylee from Georgia. His mother still lived in one of the slave homes on the plantation, but the master’s home was destroyed during the war. According to the 1860 census, there was no family in Georgia by that last name. Moreover, in searching the entire United States in the 1860s census there is no one with that last name either. In reviewing the similar variations of spelling of last names, none of the families met the criteria set up by the author to be Pink’s owner.

The other main character, Say, has some inaccuracies as well. Ms. Polacco states he was with the 24th Ohio Regiment as a color bearer because he was too young to fight. With some investigation, no one by the name of Sheldon R. Curtis served in this regiment; however, this name does appear on the roster of Company M, 6th Michigan Cavalry. Furthermore, the only veteran with that name listed in the 1890 Veterans’ Census verified the above information.
An age inaccuracy causes some misgivings about this character also. According to Ms. Polacco, Say is only 15 years old, but the soldier mentioned above was around 21 years of age. In fact, Mr. Curtis was married on May 10, 1860 to Miss Abigail M. Barnard in Ionia County, Michigan. With this fact being uncovered, this reviewer examined the possibilities of two people with the same name. However, no other solider could be found in the ranks of the US army with Say’s given name. Besides, Ms. Polacco supports Mr. Curtis’ history after the war in her book. This leads to the consideration that the soldier in the 6th Michigan Cavalry is the same as the one in the book.

Near the end of the tale, Pink and Say both are taken to Andersonville as captives of the Confederate Army. In Camp Sumter’s prisoners’ roster, it states that the person by the name of Sheldon R. Curtis in the Company M, 10th Michigan Cavalry was captured in Chancellorsville, Virginia on June 12, 1864. This is a deviation from the regiment listed on the soldier’s service record. There is no notation of anyone by the name of Pinkus Aylee ever being held in Andersonville. Per the story, he was hung; yet he is not listed among the dead.

It is important to note that Say was shot when running away from his unit, or better described as deserting. He does not desire to return to his regiment when Pink was eager to leave. He even discusses this with Pink’s mother. The author sugar coats it and states that it is because he is so young that he fears the war. In truth deserters were shot, branded or sent to prison for their cowardliness.

Pink and Say has won publication awards and has a curriculum written for teachers to use in the classroom; nevertheless, this book is not recommended to be used in any setting, much less a classroom. There are more inaccuracies within the pages of this publication, but for sake of time and space, the most significant factual errors are covered. This publication is truly a fiction book and should never be considered anything more.

Written by Cassie A. Barrow