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…
Dual Baptist narratives continue in South Carolina this month, intertwined yet divergent. Many white citizens (including Baptists) of Charleston, South Carolina, a city besieged by nearby Union naval forces since July, have fled inland and northward to Orangeburg. The roster of refugees, mainly women and children, continues to grow as winter looms. An area with…
Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant today writes U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, voicing his “hearty support” of arming blacks in the war against the Confederate States. For Grant, the letter reflects evolving convictions; earlier in the war, Grant had not voiced sympathy for the emancipation of slaves. Cairo Illinois August 23d 1863. Sir: Your letter of…