When the war began four years ago, Richmond, soon to become the Confederate capital, had a larger number of enslaved African Americans–some 500,000–than any other city in America. Today, the fourth day of freedom in Richmond, the city’s newly-freed blacks hold a “jubilee celebration” at the First African Baptist Church, the celebration including soldiers of…
On the third day of freedom in Richmond, many of the remaining upper class whites want to believe that the setback is only temporary. The brief reflections of Richmond resident Margaret White are not atypical: “Kept in a constant state of anxiety,” she writes this day, “by not being able to hear anything reliable. Some…
Richmond is fallen, the Confederate capital is no more. Fires smolder. Destruction is everywhere. Federal soldiers and freedmen roam the ruins of the city while many remaining white families are barricaded behind closed doors. A jubilant U.S. President Abraham Lincoln arrives today with his son Tad to visit the former Confederate capital for himself. Recognizing…