"And, what am I bid for this priceless journal?" the auctioneer began. "Who'll start the bidding at one thousand dollars? Where do I have one thousand dollars?" He paused for a moment, which was not his style, or so it seemed to the boys, for during this first hour he had barely drawn a breath. He appeared shocked that the bidders had not picked up their queue without further persuasion. "Come now," he continued somewhat annoyed. "What do I know that you don't? Surely you can see this is a one-of-a-kind article. If we know nothing else about it, we know that the boy who kept this lived during the period of the Civil War. Certainly someone must recognize and appreciate its value. Story of a twelve year old boy who purchases a Civil War journal at an auction.