As the year draws to to a close, many thousands of black soldiers have enlisted in the United States army, primarily during the second half of the year. As the march to freedom for enslaved blacks accelerates, the Northern city of Detroit plays a significant role. Foremost among black Baptist congregations of Detroit is the…
In Union-occupied areas of Virginia, black Baptists are increasingly exercising their newfound freedom. George Corprew,a free black living in the Portsmouth area, this year donates land for what becomes the Divine Baptist Church in Princess Anne County. This month the church is established and Charles E. Hodges (1819-1910) is called as the congregation’s first pastor.…
Following U.S. President Abraham Lincoln‘s Emancipation Proclamation of January , 1863, a group of approximately 75 enslaved blacks escaped from Boone County, Missouri and made their way northward. Many if not most were of the Baptist faith. Accounts indicate that the runaway slaves traveled part of the way by river and were rescued and towed…