Throughout the South many black Baptist churches are now hosting schools for freedmen, both children and adults. White Southerners for generations prevented slaves from obtaining education via state and local laws. Many insisted that blacks were simply unable to learn. Now, against the wishes of many whites who believe that blacks should remain in servitude,…
In Galveston, Texas, this month the Baptist-supported American Missionary Association and the Freedmen’s Bureau conduct “Sunday schools and church services in addition to regular school.” One Sunday school among Freedmen, touted as the largest in town, boasts some fifty students who are reading the Bible, an impressive achievement in the context that only a few…
Union forces continue advancing in North Carolina. Unable to prevent the Federals from marching through South and North Carolina, Confederate forces in those states strive to slow down Union advances and prevent the enemy from reaching Petersburg. Should Grant be reinforced at Petersburg by Sherman, the war will surely be over. Already, with Sherman systematically…