On the eve of the war, the South had more millionaires than did the North, all of whom (in the South) were large slave owners. Reflecting this reality, in 1860 the twelve wealthiest counties in the United States were all in the South. Southern elites — large to mid-size slave owners and their families —…
Northern missionaries, some Baptists, are operating the first school for former slaves on the Union-controlled South Carolina island of St. Helena. The school is part of the United States’ Port Royal experiment of educating and training freed slaves for autonomous living. Began on the Oak Plantation in June, the school quickly grows and this month…
War-time conditions in Savannah, Georgia are deteriorating, although enthusiasm for and loyalty to the Confederacy among Southern-born white citizens seemingly remains undaunted. A Northern-born resident of Savannah — A. G. Spencer, a merchant by profession — describes life in Savannah this month, as related by a New York Times reporter to whom merchant Spencer discusses…