In chapter 5 of My Brother Sam is Dead, what difficulties is the war causing in Tim's life?

The difficulties that Tim and his family are experiencing due to do the war are difficulties that the entire population is experiencing. Guns are disappearing quickly because they are needed by soldiers and civilians looking to protect themselves.

The people in Redding were good and angry about losing so many of their guns. Guns were valuable.

Food is also becoming quite scarce.

The worst part of it was that food was already beginning to get short.

There simply is not much available for Tim, his family, the soldiers, and other townsfolk. Additionally, what food can be found and bought is astronomically priced. It is a good lesson in basic economics. As demand increases and supply decreases, store owners can charge more.

By January of 1776 food was getting to be a real problem for us, too. It wasn't so much that were were going hungry, but that the meat and flour and rum and beer and everything else we need to run the tavern and the store kept going up in price all the time.

Because food is becoming so scarce, army supply lines cannot keep up with demand; as a result, soldiers steal cattle from people like the Meekers.

Sometimes soldiers would just take a couple of cows out of somebody's fields without paying for them, too.

On a personal level, the war is causing Tim to really miss his brother, Sam. Tim constantly worries that something bad is going to happen to Sam. Additionally, as the war escalates, Tim is forced to begin considering how he can help the war effort. This includes trying to decide which side to fight for.

I'd stand at the door and watch them go; and I wondered, if I went for a soldier, which army would I join?