An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
One hundred sixty-five years ago, the Commonwealth of Virginia set itself on a course that would alter its history forever. The decision placed the state on the losing side of a devastating war that claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives, displaced families, split the commonwealth in two, and left farms, villages, and towns in…
As 1861 dawned, the secession crisis was boiling over. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had adopted resolutions declaring themselves free and independent states, and they met in Montgomery, Alabama to form a provisional government. Fire-eaters in Virginia agitated for the Old Dominion to join them. Virginia Governor John Letcher called the…
Continue reading ➞ 165 Years Ago: Virginia’s Secession Convention Convenes in Richmond
As February 1861 dawned, there appeared to be no resolution in sight to the secession crisis. Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration was still a month away. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had adopted resolutions declaring themselves free and independent states and were, at that very moment, meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, to discuss the…
Continue reading ➞ 165 Years Ago: Washington Peace Convention Opens
Spirit of '61 