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…
Today Edgar Harkness Gray (1813-1894) becomes the first Baptist appointed as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. A Vermont native, Gray was converted to the Baptist faith at the age of twelve. Following a period of schooling, he was ordained to the ministry and served churches in Maine and Massachusetts before accepting the pastorate of Washington…