Today in the far West a clash between Indians and U.S. soldiers takes place. In the Battle of Julesburg some 1,000 Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota Indians, seeking revenge for the Sand Creek Massacre less than two months earlier, defeat a small contingent of 60 soldiers and 50 civilians. In the weeks following, the victorious Indians…
Elijah J. Marrs of Company L, 12th U.S. Colored Artillery, is keeping a written record of his time in the service. Born a slave in January 1840 in Shelby County, Kentucky, in his youth Marrs converted to the Baptist faith, the denominational choice of most Christianized slaves in the South. Learning to read and write…
The fall of Savannah continues to ripple throughout the North and South. News of the event reaches the West coast this week, whereupon this day a group of citizens in Los Angeles assembles to organize a Soldier’s Aid Society to assist injured Union soldiers. Additional chapters are formed on both coasts in the weeks following,…