This Month in the Civil War: Emancipation, Fisher, New Bern, Monitor and Lee

From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

JANUARY 1, 1863

**  President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation.

JANUARY 15, 1865

**  Fall of Fort Fisher, North Carolina.

JANUARY 19, 1862

**  Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky

JANUARY 28, 1864

**  Operations around New Bern, North Carolina.

JANUARY 30, 1862

**  The USS Monitor launched at Greenpoint, Long Island, New York.

JANUARY, 31, 1865

**  Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate armies.

A Little Too Late.  --Old Secesh

This Month in the Civil War-- Part 2

Continuedfrom July 1.

From the American Battlefield Trust 2022 calendat.

JULY 11, 1864

**  Battle of Fort Stevens.  Confederates fail to capture Washington, D.C.

JULY 13, 1863

**  Riots erupt in New York City in protest of the draft.

JULY 18,1863

**  The 54th Massachusetts attacks Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina.

JULY 18, 1864

**  Battle of Cool Spring, Virginia.

JULY  21, 1861

**  First Battle of Manassas, Virginia.

JULY  22, 1862

**  President Lincoln presents to Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet.

JULY 22, 1864

**  Battle of Atlanta, Georgia.

JULY 24, 1864

**  Second Battle of Kernstown, Virginia.

JULY  28, 1864

**  Battle of Ezra Church, Georgia.

JULY 30, 1864

Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia.

--Old Secesh

The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes-- Part 4: About That Proclamation and an American Irish Attack on Canada

The French definitely wanted there to be an American civil war as they had plans on taking over Mexico which the U.S. could not oppose if they were deep into a war.

Lincoln was also involved with his Emancipation Proclamation.  He was also pro toward American infrastructure as in his transcontinental railroad.  His major goal was to keep European countries from recognizing the Confederacy.  The Emancipation went a long way toward that.

The Emancipation was actually the very first Executive Order.  It was, however, very important to have the 13th Amendment pass to insure that it would stand.  Otherwise it could be negated.

What did Lincoln do to stop Britain from getting involved?

A  big part of his plan was the blockade.

The Red River Campaign was primarily to obtain cotton.

The Irish in the United States were going to invade Canada after the war.  There were only 12,000 British troops there.

--Old Secesh

U.S. Presidents with Confederate Ties-- Part 2: Franklin Pierce

Though he was from New Hampshire,  Democrat Franklin Pierce, who served from 1853-57,  was also a critic of both Abraham Lincoln and the war.  

A vocal Southern sympathizer, Pierce spoke on July 4, 1863, the day after the end of the Battle of Gettysburg and the day of the surrender of Vicksburg, of the  "fearful, fruitless, fatal Civil War ... and upon the theory of emancipation, devastation, subjugation."

Pierce added that "how futile are all our efforts to maintain the Union by force of arms."

--Old Secesh

Civil War Events in January-- Part 1: States are Seceding

From the American Battlefield Trust "This day in the Civil War."

JANUARY 1, 1863

**  President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation.

JANAUARY 2, 1863

**  South Carolina troops seize Fort Johnson in Charleston Harbor.

JANUARY  3, 1861

**  Georgia troops seize Fort Pulaski

JANUARY 5, 1861

**  U.S. Senators from seven Southern states meet in Washington, D,C. to discuss secession.

JANUARY 9, 1861

**  Mississippi secedes from the Union, the second state to do so.  South Carolina has already adopted an Ordinance of Secession on December 20, 1860.

JANUARY 15, 1865

**  Fall of Fort Fisher, North Carolina.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Shepherdstown-- Part 3: The Aftermath and Proclamation

AFTERMATH

The total Union dead and wounded at the Battle of Shepherdstown makes it the bloodiest battle fought in what would become the state of West Virginia.

The battle convinced both commanders that the Maryland Campaign was over.  George McClelland decided that an active pursuit of the enemy was not possible at this time and established a defensive line along the Maryland side of the Potomac River. 

And, for the Confederates, Robert E. Lee chose to abort his army's movement back into Maryland.

With the Confederates  driven from Northern soil, President Abraham Lincoln used the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation  on September 22, 1862.

BATTLEFIED PRESERVATION

As of December 2021, the American Battlefield Trust  and its partners have acquired and preserved 621 acres of the battlefield in more than ten acquisitions since 2004.

--Old Secesh

Pres. Lincoln Speaks at Hainesville

I stayed for the next speaker who was Kevin Wood, portraying President Abraham Lincoln.  He sure looked the part, as did Wayne Issleb who portrayed General and President U.S. Grant.  Both were great speakers and really brought their persons across.  Both audiences were standing room only.

The lucky folks were seated on hay bales.  How's that for historical?

According to President Lincoln, what really brought about the Civil War was Stephen Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Act.  This meant that slavery could not be contained in the state s where it already existed, but could spread to the incoming states.

Lincoln did not like slavery but could live with it as long as it stayed put where it was.

His Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in Confederate states where the Union had no control.  But he figured  that slaves were aiding the Confederates in their efforts, so if he could cause them to stop and head for Union lines that this would help the effort.

In my opinion, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was one of the greatest political moves ever made by a politician.  Lincoln truly was the politician's politician.  The only slaves freed were those outside of Union control, but that would cause them to runaway every chance they got and their labors could not help the Confederacy.

Since the ones in the divided border states weren't freed, it kept those states on the Union side.  And, most importantly, by making the war one of freeing the slaves, this would keep Britain and France from allying themselves with the Confederacy.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Events in July: Draft Riot in New York City, First Manassas, Emancipation Proclamation and the Crater

JULY 11, 1864

Battle of  Fort Stevens.  Confederates fail to capture Washington, D.C.

JULY 13, 1863

Riots erupt in New York City in protest of the draft

JULY 18, 1863

the 54th Massachusetts attacks Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C.

JULY 21, 1861

First Battle of Manassas, Virginia (or do you say First Battle of Bull Run?)

JULY 22, 1862

President Lincoln presents the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet

JULY 24, 1864

Second Battle of Kernstown, Virginia

JULY 28, 1864

Battle of Ezra Church, Georgia

JULY 30, 1864

Battle if the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia

--Old Secesh

Black Service in the Civil War-- Part 1: The Confiscation Act, Militia Act, Emancipation Proclamation and Bureau of Colored Troops

 From the Feb. 23, 2021, U.S. Army "African American service  and racial integration   in the U.S. military" by Dr. Paul-Thomas Ferguson.

I have written about earlier service during Colonial, American Revolution, War of 1812 and Indian Wars  in my Cooter's History Thing blog this past week.

During the Civil War, the Union established and maintained regiments of black soldiers.  This became possible in 1862 the Confiscation Act, which freed slaves of rebellious slaveholders, and the  Militia Act, which authorized the president to use former slaves as soldiers.

President Lincoln was initially reluctant to recruit black soldiers.  This changed in January 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for all slaves in Confederate states.

The first black regiments to served during the war were made up of free men.    In May 1863,  the War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops for  the purpose of recruiting black men.

--Old Secesh

January Civil War Dates: Fall of Fort Fisher

From the American Battlefield Trust 2021 calendar.

JANUARY 1, 1863

President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation.

JANUARY 15, 1865

Fall of Fort Fisher, North Carolina.   (How could I have forgotten this date yesterday?  Duh!)

JANUARY 19, 1862

Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky.

JANAUARY 28, 1864

Operations around New Bern, North Carolina.

JANUARY 30, 1862

USS Monitor launched at Greenpoint, Long Island, New York.

JANAUARY 31, 1865

Robert E. Lee assumes command of all Confederate armies.

JANUARY 31, 1865

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 13th Amendment.

--Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment Sell for $4.17 Million.

May 26, 2016, ABC News   A telephone bidder bought one of the 48 "Authorized Edition" Emancipation Proclamation copies signed by Lincoln that sold at the Great Central Fair fundraiser for the United States Sanitation Commission that sold for $10 at the fair back in 1864.

The copy of the 13th Amendment sold for $2.4 million and is one of just 14 signed by Lincoln on February 1, 1865.  It is also one of three of the "Senate Copies."  These are also signed by the vice president and 36 senators.

The 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865.

There are just 27 known copies of the original 48 existing.

The Emancipation Proclamation also led to liberated slaves being able to serve in the Union Army and Navy.

Not a Bad Investment and a Whole Lot of History.  --Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation Copy Signed By Lincoln At Auction-- Part 2

Continued from April 23, 2018.

This is one of the copies sold at the Great Central Fair in 1864 in Philadelphia.  The original Emancipation Proclamation is in the National Archives.  Several other of the Great Central Fair copies exist.

These copies are known as the "Authorized Edition" of the Emancipation Proclamation and are signed by Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward.  The authorized edition was as close to the original as it could get and made for use as a fundraising item.

Entrepreneurs Charles Leland and George Boker came up with the idea.  They had 498copies made for the Great Central Fair in Philadelphia in 1864.

--Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation Signed By Lincoln At Auction-- Part 3

Abraham Lincoln was a big supporter of the United States Sanitary Commission for whom the Great Central Fair was raising money and had previously donated a n autographed item.  Leland and Boker had corresponded with Lincoln's private secretary John Nicolay for an authorized version of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Both were fervent abolitionists.

The "Authorized Edition" of 48 copies also had Nicolay's signature.  The original only had Lincoln and Seward sign it.

Imagine Making $2 Million for a $10 Investment?  --Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation Copy Signed By Lincoln At Auction-- Part 1: Estimated Price, $2 Million

While writing about those 48 Lincoln signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation that were sold at the Great central Fair in Philadelphia in June 1864, I got to wondering how many are still around and how much they would be worth.

What started off earlier this month as mention of Meade's spurs and Semmes' sword at the Rock Island Auctions, this has really grown into quite a project.

From the June 25, 2012, History Site  "Emancipation Proclamation Copy Signed By Lincoln For Sale" by Eliza Hanes.

On June 26, one lucky bidder can expect to pay around $2 million to own it.

I Don't have $2 Million Lying Around.  --Old Secesh

The Great Central Fair, 1864-- Part 2: A Little Bit of Everything Inside

Union Street was compared to a great cathedral by Charles J. Stille.  Inside it were departments from which to select items to buy.  They each had different themes.  Some of them:  the  neighboring states of New Jersey and Delaware, corn, sewing, restaurants, weaponry, fine art, curiosities, transportation and children.

On June 16, Abraham Lincoln and his family visited and donated 48 copies of the Emancipation Proclamation that he had signed.  They fair was asking $10 for each one.

The fair netted some $1 million for the Union's military.

A painting of the fair accompanied the article and it was quite impressive.

--Old secesh

About Gen. Meade's Spurs-- Part 2: The Great Central Fair and Abraham Lincoln

General George Meade and his wife were members of the Great Central Fair.  At the end of it, he was presented with a sword which is now at the Philadelphia History Museum.  The Great Central Fair was probably the greatest purely civic act of voluntary benevolence ever attempted in Philadelphia.

On June 16, President Lincoln and his son Todd attended the fair and he donated 48 copies of the Emancipation Proclamation which sold for $10 apiece.  What would an autographed copy of this signed by Lincoln himself be worth today?  Or imagine if instead he had autographed copies of his Gettysburg Address?

I will write more about these copies of the Emancipation Proclamation later this week.

--Old SeceshFair

My 20 Most Significant Events Affecting the Civil War-- Part 2: Army-Navy Cooperation

6.  Union Army-Navy Cooperation

7.  The Emancipation Proclamation  It didn't really free any slaves, but went a big way to keeping England and France out of the war.

8.  Egyptian/Indian (India) cotton replaced Southern cotton.

9.  Collapse of Confederate money and finances

10.  Loss of the Mississippi River

--Old Secesh

Lincoln and Seward-- Part 5: Foreign Involvement

From the March8, 2016, McHenry County Civil War Round Table.

Seward wanted Lincoln to only make his Emancipation Proclamation after a major Union victory.  There was big fear as to its impact on the border states which still had slaves..  Plus, most Northerners did nor like slaves  There was also a fear of a possible and bloody slave insurrection.

The Russian fleet visiting New York in 1863, was also a political move.  Britain and France were calling for mediation between the Confederacy and the Union.  Mediation might be construed as recognition of the Confederacy.  The Russian fleet signaled their support of the Union.

Another issue between the United States and England were the British-built Confederate commerce raiders of which there were six, the most famous being the CSS Alabama, Florida and Shenandoah.

Seward got a bill to authorize U.S. privateers to stop Confederate ships and even British and French commerce.

--Old Secesh

Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 2

This information is taken from a lecture by Pete Coffman given at Wayne Community College September 18th, the latest in a series of lectures on key Civil War battles sponsored by the Foundation of Wayne Community College and the North Carolina Military History Roundtable.

Two more lectures remain in the series, one on the Battle of Goldsborough (Goldsboro) Bridge and one on the Battle of Fredericksburg.

The Battle of Antietam, or Battle of Sharpsburg as it was called in the Confederacy, was a pivotal moment in the war, even though it is usually considered to have ended in a draw.  President Lincoln counted it as a victory and used it to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states (but not border states) and making the war a slavery issue.

Lee chose to invade Maryland to put pressure on Washington, D.C. and hopefully convince England and France to recognize the Confederacy (sort of a Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution).  he also hoped Confederate sympathizers in Maryland would flock to the colors.  The Army of Northern Virginia was under strict orders not to plunder any farms in the state to show that the Southern cause was just.

They Didn't, However.  --Old Secesh

Lincoln's Proclamation-- Part 3

"Southerners were stunned when blacks voted for freedom with their feet in the third year of the war.  One of the intellectual underpinnings of slavery was a fantasy that happy-go-lucky African-Americans were content to toil for others' benefit."

Not actually.  Slaves had been running away to freedom for as long as slavery existed.  Otherwise three would have been no need for Fugitave Slave laws.

And, slipping over to the camp of Northern soldiers was not always a great thing as they were often as racist as their Southern counterparts.  Some refused to feed them or give medical care

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed slaves who were not under control of the Union, somewhat negating it.  It also made it impossible for France and England to recognize the Confederacy, something the Southern states were greatly counting on.  As such, the proclamation has to be ranked with one of the greatest political moves ever.

Even the 13th Amendment did not pave the way to good times for ex-slaves.  By 1876, Southern states were enacting Jim Crow laws which mandated segregation were designed to keep blacks down.  This led to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Old Secesh