During the war many Baptist associations and state conventions, South and North alike, formed committees on the “State of the Country” during annual gatherings. Not surprisingly, Northern Baptist reports commonly voiced support for emancipation of slaves and the Union efforts to defeat the South. Conversely, (white) Baptist groups who offered such reports (and many did…
During the war Sussex County, New Jersey harbored an inordinate amount of Peace Democrat sentiment, evidenced in a solid majority vote for George McClellan, running against Abraham Lincoln, in the November presidential election. Sussex County is also a place where the Baptist presence is strong, evidenced at local fairs and celebrations, during which the Baptist…
Today John A. Rose, Free Will Baptist, is discharged from the Union Army. A native of Illinois and resident of Arkansas, Rose enlisted in the Union Army in 1863, prior to his 18th birthday. Serving in Company L, 2nd Kansas Cavalry, the young soldier fought in several small battles before being captured and taken prisoner…