Tag Archives: Confederates

Varina Davis’s critical assessment of Confederate spy Rose Greenhow

As a Confederate spy in Washington, Rose Greenhow used her relationships with men in high level positions in the Union government or military to gain access to sensitive information. She was eventually caught, imprisoned in Washington, then banished across Confederate … Continue reading

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Virginia’s Governor urges use of slaves as Confederate Soldiers

By December of 1864 it was clear to anyone who cared to see that the Confederacy was fast approaching exhaustion. Union armies under Grant in Virginia and Sherman in Georgia had placed a chokehold on the military resources of the … Continue reading

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States rights would doom the Confederacy even if they won the war

Would the Confederacy have become a powerful nation if they had won the Civil War? Probably not. Their commitment to state sovereignty would have soon torn them apart. [ This article is being expanded and moved to another site: stay … Continue reading

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The “blunder” in the Declaration of Independence

When the Confederate states seceded from the Union, they considered themselves, rather than the North, to be the true upholders of American liberty. It’s always been hard for me to understand how people who fought for the right to hold … Continue reading

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Slavery and the Golden Rule

White Christians in the South who supported slavery (as most did) had a problem. They were assured from practically every pulpit throughout the cotton states that slavery was an institution sanctioned by God. After all, they were taught, Abraham owned … Continue reading

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South Carolina says “NO!” to Blacks as Confederate Soldiers

Were there significant numbers of black troops who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War? Many today who identify with the “Lost Cause” interpretation of Southern history believe there were. Yet, the historical record is clear that if there … Continue reading

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General Dorsey Pender: the Rebel, the Christian

As I was reading Shelby Foote’s account of the battle of Gettysburg (Civil War, A Narrative, Vol. 2), I was struck by his description of the death of Confederate Major General Dorsey Pender. [T]here still was Pender, whose division was … Continue reading

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Why are those happy slaves shooting at us?

Throughout the Civil War, many Southern whites professed an unwavering conviction that their slaves were happy and content in their bondage, and extremely loyal to their masters. That comforting belief was reinforced again and again by newspaper accounts claiming that … Continue reading

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