Readers of Southern newspapers this week learn of a seemingly harsh letter written by Union General Henry Halleck regarding the families of Confederate soldiers in the General’s jurisdiction West of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In some of these western states, such as Missouri, many men are fighting for the Confederacy, although the remaining Confederates…
In the midst of war, church life in the North tries to retain some sense of normalcy. Today is Saturday, the traditional day of the week on which church business is conducted (typically, churches meet on one Saturday each month to conduct business). For the Big Darby Baptist Church of Canaan Township (now Plains City),…
Today Kentucky declares its neutrality in the Civil War. Kentucky’s decision is a big blow to the Confederacy, ultimately proving important to Union victory four years down the road. The decision, this same day, of North Carolina’s secession convention to withdraw from the Union – the tenth state to do so – does not mitigate…