165 YEARS AGO: Both the Federal government and the people in the North step up scrutiny of anti-war sentiment, and constitutional guarantees are threatened.
Tag: Simon Cameron
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 U.S. Sanitary Commission
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Despite initial reluctance, the Lincoln administration approves establishing a national agency to improve military healthcare for volunteer soldiers.
The Death of Stephen A. Douglas
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Prominent U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas dies at age 48 after battles with various illnesses. Douglas was a key Democrat who supported the Lincoln administration’s war effort, and his death begins a period of national mourning.
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.