Today is a national day of Thanksgiving as decreed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Many Baptist congregations assemble to celebrate recent Union victories and listen to special presentations from guest speakers. One such Thanksgiving celebration is held at the Washington Avenue Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York. The guest speaker is the Rev. Dr. Jeffery…
Fort Wagner stands on Morris Island, guarding the approach to Charleston. Early this morning fresh federal troops land on the island, sizing up the fort. The only approach to the beach fort is over a narrow strip of sand bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and swamp marshland on the other. Prospects are…
Gettysburg’s outcome ripples outward North and South, impacting the lives of countless soldiers, officers, civilians and politicians. One impacted Union officer is Charles H. Banes (1831-1897), a Baptist businessman from Philadelphia and member of the city’s Second Baptist Church. Banes this month is promoted to the rank of major in the Union Army’s Philadelphia Brigade.…