165 YEARS AGO: The first Federal joint army-navy expedition of the war sets out to close one of North Carolina’s busiest ports.
Tag: Benjamin F. Butler
Fugitive Slave Policy Defined
165 YEARS AGO: Simon Cameron responds to Benjamin F. Butler’s request to clarify the Lincolns administration’s policy on fugitive slaves escaping into Federal military lines, one day after Confederates burned a refuge for escapees.
Of Those Made in God’s Image
165 YEARS AGO: General Benjamin F. Butler pushes the Lincoln administration to set a firm policy regarding fugitive slaves behind Federal lines.
The Battle of Big Bethel
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The Confederacy wins the first land battle on Virginia’s Peninsula and stops a Federal drive toward Yorktown and Richmond.
Contraband of War
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Benjamin F. Butler causes another controversy, this time by refusing to return fugitive slaves to their masters. This military policy of designating escapees as “contraband of war” is endorsed by the Lincoln administration, which sets a wartime precedent.
Federals Capture Baltimore
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Benjamin Butler oversteps his authority and sends his Federal troops to seize the troublesome city of Baltimore.