Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Carrie Berry's Civil War Diary
Carrie Berry was ten years old. She lived with her family in Atlanta, Georgia. When the Civil War erupted between the Federal troops of the North and the Confederate troops of the South, Carrie's happy life changed. Carrie kept a diary of what went on in her everyday life. Most of her diary entries were just a sentence or two. Carrie's diary gives us a very good idea of what war looked like to a young girl of ten.
Carrie's diary gives us a picture of this particular young girl in her own words. Carrie loved to play with her friends and her dolls. She also had to take on grown-up chores to help the family. Carrie often told her diary of days spent ironing, cleaning, cooking, or taking care of her younger sister.
Times were hard for the Berry family. The year was 1864. The Civil War was in full swing. More and more southern land was falling to the northern army. Battles were taking place all around Atlanta. Carrie's family often had to retreat to their cellar to seek safety from the shellings. When the cannons weren't booming, the sound of musket fire could be heard in the woods. Carrie celebrated her tenth birthday with no cake and no presents. She did the ironing.
