Today a great fire engulfs the southwest Georgia town of Americus, a Confederate hospital town housing thousands of soldiers and located near Andersonville Prison. Two city squares in the downtown district are destroyed by the fire, which causes damages of over $3,000,000. The lost buildings include many businesses, hospital buildings, warehouses and storerooms. Among the…
Georgia Baptists convene at the First Baptist Church of Griffin for their annual meeting. Although the mood is somber due to the war, the normal proceedings take place. A sermon is preached, delegates are seated, and committees appointed. Following these formalities, representatives of Southern Baptist army colporteur and missionary organizations are introduced. Then a “communication”…
Publication and distribution of Confederate religious periodicals is a priority of Baptist leaders of the South. The cessation of commerce between North and South has forced the Confederacy to become self-dependent, while Southern Baptists in particular are abhorrent of the abolitionist sentiment that is so often expressed in Northern religious literature, and thus avoid Northern…