Many men from Illinois had a hand in the Milliken’s Bend story, and this seems like a timely subject, in anticipation of the upcoming Decatur Civil War Symposium. In April 1863, Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas traveled along the Mississippi River, more »
There are a number of reasons why Milliken’s Bend should be remembered, but I’ll concentrate on what I believe to be the three most significant historical reasons. 1) Along with Port Hudson and Fort Wagner, Milliken’s Bend was a significant more »
On April 14, 1863, Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas announced his appointments for officers for the 9th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent. Despite its name, this was a Union regiment. Officered by whites, the enlisted men would be black, and recruited a more »
In early April 1863, Adjutant General of the United States, Lorenzo Thomas, stopped at many of the posts along the Mississippi River and addressed the troops. His mission, authorized by the secretary of war as well as President Lincoln, was more »
On this day, 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It declared slaves in areas “still in rebellion” (most of the Confederacy) would become free. It also provided compensation to slave holders who were loyal and more »