Martin J. Crawford
With a Constitution in place, the Confederate States of America elects Commissioners to the Government of the United States of America. Among the Commissioners elected is Martin J. Crawford (1820-1883; illustration) of Georgia, a Baptist. A graduate of Mercer University, Crawford has previously served as a lawyer and judge in Georgia. After the war begins, Crawford raises the Third Georgia Cavalry Regiment in May 1862 and serves with it for one year. Afterwards, he serves on the staff of Major General Howell Cobb until the end of the war.
Meanwhile, in Washington D. C. President-elect Abraham Lincoln meets with both houses of Congress. One eyewitness reflects upon his first meeting the Lincolns: “They are both quite ordinary looking people. I hope He is equal to the crises. To my Mind, appearances do not favor the conclusion that he is.”
Sources: Commissioners of the Confederate States (link); Crawford biography and illustration (link); Lincoln’s activities (link); eyewitness account (link)
