St. Augustine, Florida has been under Union control since March 1862. Along with Beaufort, South Carolina and environs, St. Augustine serves as a Northern-controlled freemen’s colony, providing opportunities for former slaves — or contrabands (the wartime term for slaves freed by the Union Army) — to receive basic education, learn trades and acquire farming skills. Leading…
The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia, founded in 1809, has been without a pastor for nearly a year, ever since Reverend James Underdew (or Underdue) stepped down to serve as a chaplain in the Union Army. A local black abolitionist, Underdew had served as pastor from 1859 to 1863. Now, he is serving in…
A new general is in town and a new chapter in the ongoing battle for control of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley begins this day. Union General Philip Sheridan is the man, and Winchester is the town. Upon hearing of the approach of Sheridan’s forces, Confederate General Jubal Early evacuates his own forces rather than engage the…