Rev. Thomas L. Johnson, a former slave, begins his biography “Twenty Eight Years a Slave” with the words: “According to information I received from my mother, I was born August 7th, 1836, at a place called Rock-Rayman, in the State of Virginia; but I do not know the place, as I was REMOVED when a…
Today in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. General William T. Sherman and his wife attend a Sanitary Commission fair, demonstrating their support for the organization that has done so much in support of soldiers. Many American (Northern) Baptists also support the Commission. Southward in Virginia a new black Baptist church is founded, the Bethlehem Baptist Church of…
In Richmond, a new Baptist church quietly begins taking shape. Late in the evening hours, a small group of local slaves slip away from their quarters. Their destination is a ramshackle shed near a trash dump on Navy Hill. There they gather and worship God, singing and offering “prayers of thanksgiving and liberation.” Should they…