Paulsen repeatedly emphasizes that the long and bloody nature of the Civil War was not anticipated, and this is a historically accurate depiction. People in Charley’s hometown, along with the soldiers in Charley’s unit, view the Confederate army as weak opponents. They expect the war to last a few months at most, and send soldiers off with great fanfare and excitement, expecting them to return victorious quickly. For Charley, missing the war seems like missing out on the excitement and opportunity of a lifetime. He goes out of his way to enlist because he doesn’t want to be left out.

The expectation of a short and relatively easy victory stands in sharp contrast to the reality Charley faces. The Rebel army defeats the Union at Bull Run, and hundreds of men are killed or wounded. Charley’s initial worry at missing out on the excitement of battle is soon replaced by a desire to be anywhere else. Charley’s mother, also, realizes that the war is more dangerous that she had anticipated, and urges Charley to come home. The war everyone believed would only last a few months lasted four years, from 1861 to 1865. By emphasizing the contrast between people’s expectations and the reality of battle, Paulsen shows that conflict is rarely as simple as it first appears.