In what proves to be the final hour of the Confederacy, the government authorizes the enlistment and arming of slaves to fight in the Confederate Army. With the signature of President Jefferson Davis, the bill is official. Although by no means putting an end to the debate in the South over slaves serving in the…
Today Union General William T. Sherman writes General Ulysses S. Grant. Sherman’s men are, for their hundreds of miles of marching the past four months, in good shape. Knowing of Grant’s difficulty in maneuvering past Lee to get at Richmond, Sherman declares his intention to come to his aid soon if no serious Confederate resistance…
Sherman‘s march through North Carolina continues, with Fayetteville falling today. The Federals promptly destroy the city’s arsenal, dealing yet another setback to the now nearly defunct Confederacy. With increasing frequency, Confederate civilians and soldiers, knowing the end is near, are giving up the fight and taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. Today…