Meeting in Richmond, the Confederate Congress today unveils a new chapter in American history: the first Confederate Conscription Act, requiring all males between the ages of 18 and 35 to serve in the military, becomes the first draft enacted since the formation of the American nation. The Act follows the Rockingham Rebellion and is considered necessary…
St. Augustine, Florida, a slave trade center of the Southeast, has been under Union control since the capture of the city on March 11 by the United States Navy. The following day, Jacksonville fell to the Union Navy. In both cities slaves were freed while white citizens’ communication with the Confederacy was curtailed. Four days…
As Union battlefield victories and strategic advances grow, unrest in the Confederate capital is also on the rise. Writing from Richmond, Baptist Abby Gwathney conveys to the her parents the unease which pervades the city and state, the former now under martial law. She notes (excerpted): We are expecting a battle daily on the Peninsula.…