Preparation. Before you begin writing letter #3, gather some background information by reading, viewing, and listening to the following materials:
	Watch this clip about the end of the war from the documentary film, "The Civil War."
	Visit the Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History's online exhibit, "Battle Lines: Letters from America's Wars." Listen to the letters by Robert E. Lee and Lysander Wheeler.
	Watch the section called "Mourning and Anger," from the documentary film, "The Lincoln Assassination."
	Watch this mini-lecture by historian Drew Gilpin Faust about the impact of the Civil War on Lincoln and the nation.

April 1865: War's End. The South has surrendered. You have just heard news that President Lincoln has been assassinated. Imagine how your character would react to the end of a long, horrible war and the challenges of reuniting the nation in peace. How would you look back on all that you and the nation have been through? What hopes and fears do you have for the future?