How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The tragedy of that summer had never impressed Jethro so deeply as it did that afternoon when the dates stared up at him with terrible significance. (7.27)
Maybe it's because Tom has just died, or maybe it's because Jethro has grown up a bit more recently, but when looking over his family tree and seeing the death dates of the little boys, Jethro comes to a better understanding of the gravity of their losses that summer. Three boys dying within four days is a tragedy almost incomprehensible.
Quote #8
Antietam had been the baptismal battle for the young schoolteacher, and the letter to Jenny reflected the agony of a man new to the scenes of death and suffering. (8.31)
Hunt calling this a "baptismal battle" calls to mind the sacrament of baptism. Basically Antietam is an initiation for Shad, and witnessing all the horrors of war at this battle causes Shad to become a changed man.
Quote #9
The nation was ready to look for peace. If the price of peace was the dissolution of the Union, many people felt that compensation lay in stopping human slaughter. (11.40)
Forget about the issues of slavery or secession or states' rights—at this point, people just want the colossal killing of soldiers to stop. And if it means forgetting all about why the war started to begin with, then everyone is cool with that (though we'd wager plenty of enslaved people don't share this sentiment).