Today near Petersburg, Virginia, a Confederate offensive temporarily brings a halt to Union destruction of the Weldon Railroad near Ream’s Station, in what becomes known as the Second Battle of Ream’s Station. Destroying Confederate rail lines supplying the Confederate capital of Richmond is a major objective of Union forces besieging Petersburg. Rebel forces, already outnumbered…
This week the 118th United States Colored Troops regiment is forming in Kentucky. Many former slaves enroll today in Owensboro, eager to take up arms to help put down the Rebellion and free the remaining slaves in the Confederacy. Former slaves are now daily enrolling in the Union Army, and in so doing are ensuring…
Disloyalty to the Confederate cause is becoming a significant problem, even in the Deep South. Thousands of Confederate soldiers in the heart of the Confederacy, disgruntled at fighting a slaveholders’ war and anxious to assist their suffering families, have deserted and returned to their families and communities. The desertions should come as no surprise to…