I'm not saying this is some novel realization, but the one day the thought popped into my head. I just searched ( http://duckduckgo.com/?q=grangerfords+%26+shepherdsons+civil+war ) and it looks like this is a relatively common interpretation. I think it adds another level though, and makes me want to reread that section of Huck Finn with the civil war at the forefront of my mind. It also adds another layer of sorrow to when Huck finds Buck dead (brothers killing brothers). -Andrew