MARY AND THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG

Wow, it has been a while.  It is not my policy to use people's last name in a blog, especially one which might make one feel uncomfortable and certainly with people I really like.  I have a funny, but, alas, a bit embarrassing story of a student report in which the last name is important to the humor.  So I messaged this woman and asked her if she would mind if I publish this story and she graciously consented.  Mary Heitz is a super  fine, lady and she was a fantastic student with great intelligence and caring.  I adored her in the class room.

As you may know, I did not like to teach the acts of war but preferred to deal with causes and effects and historical importance, but a lot of student like studying the Civil War and to make that OK for both sides I assigned battle reports for student to present to the class and I tried to tie the whole thing together in some coherent form.

I had the student chose three battles that they would be interested in and I would assign the battles first come, first serve.  I shuffled the papers and gave the student the battle first listed unless that battle had already been taken.  I then assigned the next one on the list.  As it turned out, by sheer coincidence (something it took me awhile to have Mary believe) Mary got assigned the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia.  unfortunately, there was a hill above the city named Marye's Heights, which ,at first glance, looks to be pronounced the same as Mary's name.  It is actually pronounced Marie's heights, but no one knew that at the time, including me.

In the course of reporting, Mary said something to the effect, The Confederate Army was on top of Marye's Heights and the Union Army assaulted Marye's Heights a number of( maybe 10, I don't remember) times.  I immediately picked up on the similarities in the names but hoped that no one else would.  Of course, some one did very quickly and began to laugh.  After all, it was a funny coincidence.  Mary, trying to concentrate on her presentation, did not realize the situation and heard the laughter and repeated the name of the hill a few time to try to figure out what was so funny.

Unfortunately I found myself in a position that dictated that a teacher should not laugh but I couldn't help it. The more Mary repeated the name, the funnier it got to me and the students in the class.  I was once in the church choir and the guy next to me said something funny and I started laughing and couldn't stop in front of the entire congregation and eventually ended up crawling out of the choir.  This was the same for me.

I laughed so hard that my sides began to ache, I got tears in my eyes, all the while feeling much remorse for my action and incredible sympathy for Mary.  It is an incident I deeply regret and Mary was a trooper.

It actually get worse, here.  After Mary graduated and I was pretty sure that none of my student knew her I began telling the story to my student and other teachers and the day came when I really was sorry for that, also. A few years down the road I was sitting in the first faculty meeting of the year at Seneca High School. and the Principal said, "I would like to introduce the new teachers this year,  first, someone many of you will remember, Mary Heitz."

Oh, my, this is not good.  After the meeting I caught Mary in the hall and awkwardly explained that I had been telling the story.  that is all the farther I got and she said you told people about the Battle of Fredericksburg.  I tried to soothe her by saying I never expected her to return but, she was rightly upset and I was, rightly, humbled and rueful.

Again, Mary was the better person and accepted the situation like an adult and accepted my apology.  Mary became a very successful educator and administrator and I do truly thank her for her consideration about this blog.  And, Mary, I really didn't set you up, I was just ignorant.  The laughing, that is another thing.  I have no excuses.  Bless you.