The fate of West Virginia, comprised of land carved out of the state of Virginia in a citizen-initiated process that began in June 1861 in opposition to secession, will officially be determined on March 26, at which time a popular vote is to be held on the matter of formal statehood. Excitement is in the…
To the consternation of town citizens, the Confederate War Department seizes “all the Superfine and Extra Family Flour” in Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, paying millers and merchants only 2/3rds of the market price. Not surprisingly, the confiscation of flour upsets many residents. In the years of the war to come, however, the heavy hand of…
Today’s North Carolina Baptist Biblical Recorder carries a story about an anonymous Southern preacher who is asked why he does not offer prayers for Confederate sailors. First published in an Anglican newspaper, the story resonates with Baptists enough to make the rounds in Baptist periodicals. Last Sunday as I came out of the pulpit, a…