The New York Times today reprints a speech on slavery delivered by Kentucky Baptist layman and U.S. Congressman Green Clay Smith (1826-1895). Smith served as a Second Lieutenant in the Army during the Mexican War, after which he graduated from Transylvania University and then practiced law with his father, John Speed Smith, an attorney and…
Today Charleston, Illinois, a small town sharply divided over the war, erupts in rioting. The trouble begins when Copperheads (Northern Democrats who want to sign a peace treaty with the Confederate States) assemble at the courthouse. Armed and ready for confrontation, the Copperheads wait for opportunities to assault soldiers and abolitionists. The wait is not…
The coastal town of Fernandina, Florida has been occupied by Union forces since March 1862. The capture of the town had proven surprisingly easy. Despite the area’s heavy fortifications, the Confederates had abandoned the city without a fight. Fort Clinch, guarding the entrance to Fernandina but deserted upon the approach of Union naval forces, was…