With Atlanta now safely in Union hands, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is able to rest a bit easier. The capture of the Southern city bolsters the president’s re-election prospects, and, assuming Lincoln’s re-election (which is not yet a given, despite Atlanta) almost assures a United States victory over the rebellious Southern states. Against this backdrop,…
How are the fortunes of the Confederacy? It depends upon where one looks. The editor of the South Carolina Confederate Baptist, reporting only “wild rumors” from Atlanta, finds ample reasons to believe in a prosperous future for the white South. Among the articles published in today’s edition of the paper is one that extols the…
While many communities in the North finally receive confirmation of the Union’s triumph over Atlanta, this day, as decreed by President Abraham Lincoln two days earlier, is a national day of celebration in the United States, following the Union victories at Atlanta and Mobile Bay. Although Lincoln’s proclamation for this day’s celebratory cannon salutes in…