A Canadian by birth (1848), Philip S. Moxom grew up in Illinois and as a 14-yeard old marched off to fight for his new country as an attendant, or “boy,” to Captain Bewley of the 78th Illinois Regiment. On October 3, 1863, a then 15-year old Moxom enlisted as a soldier in the 17th Illinois…
As the year draws to to a close, many thousands of black soldiers have enlisted in the United States army, primarily during the second half of the year. As the march to freedom for enslaved blacks accelerates, the Northern city of Detroit plays a significant role. Foremost among black Baptist congregations of Detroit is the…
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln continues his gradual but relentless public push for emancipation, today asking the border states to embrace compensated emancipation. Gentlemen. After the adjournment of Congress, now very near, I shall have no opportunity of seeing you for several months. Believing that you of the border-states hold more power for good than any…