Author Archives: SUMPTER

“Our pits are in an awful condition”

Posted on November 21, 2014 by SUMPTER

A young man from Seneca County enlisted for one year in August 1864. Instead of the regiment he signed up for, he was sent to the “Orange Blossoms” from downstate. He was finding picket duty in front of Petersburg pretty … Continue reading →

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between God and the people

Posted on November 20, 2014 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today The New-York Times wasn’t sure where Sherman’s army was headed, but it knew he was sweeping and destroying. It published a table of distances for possible destinations and reprinted an article from the November 18th Cincinnati … Continue reading →

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blockade: tweaking and evading

Posted on November 19, 2014 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today President Lincoln lifted the blockade of Norfolk, Fernandina and Pensacola because those ports had “for some time past been in the military possession of the United States, [and] it is deeemd advisable that they should be … Continue reading →

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flag presented

Posted on November 18, 2014 by SUMPTER

A widow gave a regiment’s flag to a local Masonic Lodge. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in November 1864: FLAG PRESENTATION. – The Observer says the beautiful Silk Flag, made and presented, fresh and new, by the ladies … Continue reading →

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Uncle, can you spare a few dollars?

Posted on November 18, 2014 by SUMPTER

“I have a little favor to ask of you today.” At American Memory you can read a letter written 150 years ago yesterday to President Lincoln. I can’t make out all the words, but it seems that in a celebratory … Continue reading →

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Andersonville North

Posted on November 15, 2014 by SUMPTER

“in a land of plenty; to die of lingering torture.” From the Richmond Daily Dispatch November 16, 1864: The Treatment of Southern prisoners at the North. We find in the Washington National Intelligencer a private letter relative to the condition … Continue reading →

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Mac’s resignation

Posted on November 14, 2014 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today President Lincoln accepted General McClellan’s Election Day resignation from the army. The Atlas & Argus of Albany New York was a Democratic party newspaper (according to the November 11, 1864 issue of The New-York Times the … Continue reading →

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Georgia quiet

Posted on November 13, 2014 by SUMPTER

There hadn’t been much news from Georgia in recent days. A Richmond paper tried to guess what that meant. From the Richmond Daily Dispatch November 12, 1864: Saturday Morning…november 12, 1864. The War News. … Georgia. There has been no … Continue reading →

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postal delay

Posted on November 12, 2014 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today a Democratic paper finally received soldiers’ votes for president from its correspondent in the field. The editor blamed the delay on devious Republican postmasters. From a Seneca County, New York in November 1864: Delayed Soldiers’ Votes. … Continue reading →

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“four more years …”

Posted on November 11, 2014 by SUMPTER

By 150 years ago today some word of mouth news had trickled into Richmond – Abe Lincoln was re-elected. Confederates had to prepare for four more years of war. From the Richmond Daily Dispatch November 11, 1864: The re-election of … Continue reading →

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