Today is Easter Sunday, a religious holiday not recognized by Baptists, who oppose Easter as a worldly holiday with pagan origins. Services in Baptist churches proceed as usual, while Baptist soldiers writing home (as many do on Sundays) to not reference Easter, whereas many other Christian soldiers do. On this Easter Sunday, the New York…
Today Union Navy Admiral David Farragut manages to slip two of his ships back past the forts of Vicksburg, Mississippi in preparation for a campaign to attack the city. Having probed the city’s defenses, Farragut now prepares for an impending rendezvous with land forces. The Vicksburg campaign officially commences six days hence, when U. S.…
In Culpeper County, Virginia, site of 18th century Baptist struggles for religious liberty against the Anglican state church, a cavalry battle erupts today as U.S. Brig. Gen. William W. Averell leads 2100 mounted troops across the Rappahannock River to attack Confederate cavalry. Conf. Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee counter-attacks with 800 mounted men, not enough to…