Walter Coffey's Blog, page 12
January 31, 2025
The Thirteenth Amendment: The Vote
The U.S. House of Representatives passes a constitutional amendment permanently abolishing slavery in America. This significant legislation marked the first constitutional restriction on individual rights, solidifying emancipation.Continue reading
January 30, 2025
Peace Talks: Confederate Envoys Arrive
Three Confederate emissaries cross the siege lines at Petersburg to meet with Federal officials and discuss a possible end to the war. President Lincoln sets terms for peace negotiations, emphasizing national authority and an end to slavery.Continue reading
January 29, 2025
Sherman Turns Toward Columbia
William T. Sherman’s Federals begin turning inland, away from the coast, as they inch northward from Savannah into South Carolina.Continue reading
January 26, 2025
The Confederate General-in-Chief
Confederate President Jefferson Davis signs a bill into law creating the military rank of general-in-chief of all Confederate armies.Continue reading
January 23, 2025
The Resignation of John Bell Hood
The Battles of Franklin and Nashville had devastated General John Bell Hood’s once mighty Confederate Army of Tennessee. Communication problems in the Confederacy meant thatContinue reading
January 22, 2025
The Confederate Peace Commission
Elder statesman Francis P. Blair, Sr. returns to Richmond to deliver President Abraham Lincoln’s letter regarding potential peace negotiations to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Continue reading
January 21, 2025
Sherman’s Order of Redistribution
William T. Sherman issues directives for Federal troops to seize abandoned land along the Atlantic coast and redistribute it to newly freed slaves. These become the most radical military orders of the war.Continue reading
January 20, 2025
The Fort Fisher Aftermath
Federal troops occupy Fort Fisher, the gateway to the last Confederate seaport at Wilmington, North Carolina. The loss of this fort effectively shuts the Confederacy off from the outside world.Continue reading
January 19, 2025
The South Carolina Campaign Begins
Major General William T. Sherman issues orders for his Federal troops to start moving north, out of Savannah and into South Carolina. Sherman plans to feint against Charleston and Augusta while actually targeting the state capital of Columbia.Continue reading
January 18, 2025
Securing Peace to Our One Common Country
Statesman Francis P. Blair, Sr. had been given a pass by President Abraham Lincoln to go through the Federal lines to meet with Confederate PresidentContinue reading
