The First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia, founded in 1809, has been without a pastor for nearly a year, ever since Reverend James Underdew (or Underdue) stepped down to serve as a chaplain in the Union Army. A local black abolitionist, Underdew had served as pastor from 1859 to 1863. Now, he is serving in…
Today Missouri Baptist pastor Jonathan B. Fuller writes a letter from Kansas City addressed to his father back East. Fuller’s words reflect the ongoing tension in the near West border states, tensions that garner little notice in the midst of major battle campaigns in Virginia and Georgia. As Fuller relates, Sunday church attendance has been…
Included in the United States’ battle preparations for the coming spring engagements is the use of large numbers of black soldiers, former slaves who are ready and willing to fight for the freedom of their families and friends yet enslaved in the Confederate States. A number of “colored regiments” proved their mettle during the battles…