John Gordon was just 15 years old when he enlisted in Company B, 11th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent on May 8, 1863. He was probably involved in the fighting at Milliken’s Bend, as there is no evidence that he was … Continue reading →
Memorial Day isn’t just about hot dogs, baseball, and apple pie – and a three-day weekend. Memorial Day began to honor the Civil War dead. You can read more about the origins of this holiday – and in particular, the … Continue reading →
It occurred to me, when I wrote my recent post about Webster, a runaway slave, that with digitized texts, it has now become possible to develop a biographical sketch of an individual slave simply by performing a keyword search of … Continue reading →
It’s impossible to estimate the number of runaway slaves that set out for a new life of freedom in Northeastern Louisiana in 1863. At the start of the year, it was minimal, though still significant. With the coming of spring, … Continue reading →
Zelma Wyche was a black Army veteran of World War II. He joined the military in 1943. Four years later, back at home, he had to fight for the right to vote. That war lasted over 15 years. Like many … Continue reading →