John Henry Yates (1828-1897) was born into slavery in Virginia. Although Virginia law forbade the teaching of slaves to read or write, the children of Yates’ master taught a young Yates how to read. The Bible was his favorite book. As a young man he “married” (marriage being informal for slaves, due to state laws)…
Simon B. Malone was born into slavery on December 18, 1842 in Tippah County, Mississippi. During the war, he fled to freedom when the 5th Ohio Cavalry came through his home county. According to oral history and family tradition, Malone followed the 5th Ohio, making himself useful by caring for soldiers’ horses, fetching water and…
The First Baptist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, has experienced ups and downs during the past four years. When Nashville came under Union occupation in 1862, the church’s pastor and other ministers in the city refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States, and were accordingly arrested. For several months during the year…