As the year draws to to a close, many thousands of black soldiers have enlisted in the United States army, primarily during the second half of the year. As the march to freedom for enslaved blacks accelerates, the Northern city of Detroit plays a significant role. Foremost among black Baptist congregations of Detroit is the…
In Union-occupied areas of Virginia, black Baptists are increasingly exercising their newfound freedom. George Corprew,a free black living in the Portsmouth area, this year donates land for what becomes the Divine Baptist Church in Princess Anne County. This month the church is established and Charles E. Hodges (1819-1910) is called as the congregation’s first pastor.…
As the one year anniversary of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln‘s Emancipation Proclamation nears, a contraband (freedman’s) camp in Union-controlled Yorktown, Virginia continues to grow. This month the recently-formed 4th and 6th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment arrives, to the surprise of many new freedman who were not even aware that colored regiments were forming. Some excited…