TASK DEFINITION: You will be given a trivia clue, and the category it belongs to. You should answer with the best answer that belongs in the category and is described by the clue. For simplicity, answers should be in all lower cased letters.
PROBLEM: Category: FICTIONAL CHARACTERS 
Clue: A 1965 novel by this author introduced his alter ego, sci-fi writer Kilgore Trout

SOLUTION: kurt vonnegut, jr.

PROBLEM: Category: U.S. HISTORY 
Clue: He was the commanding Union general at Bentonville, site of the last major Confederate offensive

SOLUTION: william tecumseh sherman

PROBLEM: Category: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 
Clue: The longest period in American history with no changes to the Constitution was from 1804 to this year

SOLUTION:
1865