The career of Octavius Catto ranks among the great stories of the United States in the 1800s. This versatile figure came to prominence during and after the Civil War. This was a time of dramatic change in America. Octavius Catto is a second-generation figure in the struggle of African Americans for equality in the United […]
Category: Civil War
The Emancipation Proclamation Issued by Lincoln
On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Although long overdue, it began the chain of events that ended slavery in the United States. Today, I’d like to explain some things about the Emancipation Proclamation and, hopefully, clear away some misconceptions people might have about it and its author. As I wrote a […]
Robert E. Lee’s Battle Plans at Antietam
When Union forces discovered the battle plans of Robert E. Lee for his first invasion of the North on September 13, 1862, it offered Union general George McClellan the chance that all military commanders dream of—he knew the enemy’s plans in advance. He knew where Lee’s troops were and, furthermore, that Lee had split his […]