The Confederacy

CENTRAL ILLINOIS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES NEWSLETTER December 2008 The Confederacy Welcome to the 20th issue of the Central The war had taken a toll on Lincoln, not Illinois Teaching with Primary only as President but in his home life. Sources Newsletter, a collaborative Because his wife was from Kentucky, most project of Teaching with Primary Sources of Mary Todd Lincoln’s family supported Programs at Southern Illinois University the Confederacy during the war. This was Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois hard for Mary to bear, supporting her University. husband meant disagreeing with her family in Kentucky. With this issue and continuing through February President Lincoln granted a pass 2009 the theme each month to Martha Todd White half-sister Galbraith Map Illinois will reflect primary sources of Mary Todd Lincoln, to travel of the Abraham Lincoln i n t o t h e U n i o n . A l m o s t Contents Calendar. You can immediately stories and rumors Introduction—pg 1 download and print a copy of of Martha smuggling contraband the calendar at http:// back to the south emerged. More Beyond President www.eiu.edu/~eiutps. controversy followed when Emily Lincoln—pg 2 Todd Helm, another half-sister of Library of Congress Eight days after Abraham Mary, attempted to cross Union Topic Connections— L i n c o l n w a s e l e c t e d lines. Emily was married to pg 2 president, South Carolina Benjamin Hardin Helm, a Lesson Plans, succeeded from the Union. This was the general in the Confederate army. When Activities and beginning of the Confederate States of General Helm died in battle, Emily wished Resources—pg 4 America. The Confederacy elected to return to her family in Kentucky. For a What’s New at Jefferson Davis to be their President. while she stayed with President and Mrs. www.loc.gov?—pg 5 After his inauguration Davis sent a peace Lincoln, to have a Confederate widow in commission to Washington, however the White House outraged many. Activity-Test Your President Lincoln refused to see the Knowledge-pg 6 representatives from the south. Lincoln issued an amnesty and loyalty oath Image Sources—pg 7 for Emily Todd Helm so she could pass In April 1860, President Lincoln sent Union lines and supplies to Fort Sumter, a Union fort enter the south to Contact surrounded by Confederate states. Davis attend to her Information responded by ordering an attack on the property. The am- fort which signified the start of the Civil nesty was condi- Amy Wilkinson War. Davis believed he could find allies tional on Emily [email protected] in England and France, as both countries taking the loyalty Cindy Rich already recognized the Confederate oath to the Union, [email protected] States of America. In November 1861, which she never Jefferson Davis sent James Mason and did. When she Editor John Sidell to appeal to England and returned to Wash- Melissa Carr France for support of the Confederate ington the follow- [email protected] states in the war. Union soldiers ing fall to acquire Websites apprehended the diplomats and returned a license to sell them to the United States as cotton she www.eiu.edu/~eiutps prisoners. England owned in Missis- www.siue.edu/ was furious and sippi, Lincoln refused to grant it education/tps considered this unless she affirmed loyalty to the Union. action as a violation Rather than doing that, Mrs. Helm re- of their neutrality. turned to Kentucky and after one angry Lincoln also found letter, was never again in contact with the himself in the Lincoln’s. Library of Congress American Memory position of avoiding accessed 11.03.08 a w a r w i t h England. Page 2 The Confederacy Beyond Lincoln On April 9, 1865 General Lee surrendered Davis and his family were put onboard a ship, bringing an end to the Civil War. For several along with Confederate Vice-President weeks the Union Army had been in pursuit of Alexander Stephens, and taken by sea to Fort Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. Davis plan Monroe, Virginia. On May 22, 1865, Davis was an escape by sea from the east coast of was taken ashore in shackles and placed into Florida sailing to solitary confinement. He was indicted on the Texas where he charge of treason but never tried, and was hoped to establish a released two years later in May 1867. Davis new Confederacy. never requested or was granted a His dream of a new pardon for his Confederate nation actions. Library of was crushed on May Congress Today in History 10, 1865 when he accessed 10.03.08 Library of Congress America’s was captured by Library accessed 10.03.08 Union Soldiers. V a r i n a D a v i s , feeling her husband A s D a v i s had been wrongly cabinet disbanded, portrayed as a coward in the north- they took gold from the treasury. With rumors ern newspapers, wrote a letter to Montgom- spreading among southern troops of the ery Blair, a family friend and Post Master defeat of the Confederacy, Davis was General under President Lincoln, detailing in hourly anticipation of the capture of her husband. Varina Davis attacks by Confederate was imprisoned at Savannah, Georgia and soldiers in search of later joined Davis at Fort Monroe. (http:// treasure. Expecting lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/ these soldiers, Davis mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/005)) was not prepared for the Library of Congress American Memory accessed Union soldiers that 11.11.08 charged upon their camp. Topic Connections America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Southern Voices http://memory.loc.gov/ Song Sheets http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ ammem/award99/ncuhtml/ncuhome.html amsshtml/amsshome.html The toils of southerners and Confederate Song sheets, not to be confused with soldiers during the Civil War can be found in sheet music, are mass produced sheets diaries and letters in this collection. It with lyrics but no music. Song sheets were includes a range of individuals telling their first popular in the British Isles as early as stories, from Confederate the 1500’s. They found their soldiers, a Virginia girl during height of popularity in the the War to a Confederate United States during the early Chaplin. nineteenth century. These song sheets provided entertainment The Civil War diary of Miss Belle during a time when there was Edmondson of Shelby County, little happiness in people’s lives. Tennessee, is available in this The country needed a diversion, collection. Belle recorded news especially the south towards the from the front, local skirmishes and rumors, end of the war. Their way of life troop movements, the running of contraband and all they knew was through federal lines and activities of family destroyed, their government and slaves. According to family legend, which had collapsed and t h e i r appears supported by diary accounts, Miss president was Edmondson was a Confederate spy. trying to avoid capture from the Union. The song sheets in this These diaries and stories tell of a life that are collection tell that story from at risk of being forgotten. Primary sources “The Bonnie Blue Flag” to “The such as these are a connection we have with Capture of Jeff Davis”. this devastating time in our history. The Confederacy Page 3 Topic Connections Cont. An American Time Capsule: Three to return. Sheet music provided a form Centuries of Broadsides and other of entertainment during the Civil War. Printed Ephemera http://memory.loc.gov/ Like music today, songs of the Civil ammem/rbpehtml/ War were meant to be listened to over Broadsides, leaflets, pamphlets and tickets and over. Unlike CD’s and MP3’s sheet are examples of printed ephemera that were music shows wear over time and originally meant to be read or used and then some sheets are discolored or torn. thrown away. It is amazing that so many have been saved. The Library’s collection of printed ephemera contains 28,000 items. The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress http:// It is almost as if you can follow the rise and memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/ fall of Jefferson Davis through broadsides. malhome.html From a Virginia electoral ticket boasting There are many letters to and from Jefferson Davis for President to addresses by President Lincoln concerning the Davis to the people of the free states as well Confederacy, most dealing with peace as the Confederacy. negotiations or rumors of peace. A letter to Lincoln from Prince de Joinville, a member of There is a May 2, 1865 proclamation from the House of Orleans, explored the rumor that President Andrew Johnson offering a reward the Confederacy was about to make a of $100,000 dollars for the arrest of Jefferson declaration of emancipation of their own. Of Davis. This proclamation states that “the course, there were strings to the Confederate murder of the late President Lincoln and the emancipation; it wouldn’t actually take effect attempted assassination of the Honorable for twenty to thirty years. There were even William H. Seward, Secretary of State, were rumors of an attack by the south on incited, concerted and procured by Jefferson Washington D.C. and that there was not an Davis” and his cabinet. office in the Union not saturated with friends of Jefferson Davis. Being bombarded with After Davis capture and arrest he spent two diverse and rampant rumors and opinions years in prison before allowed bail. Davis bail on a daily basis had to bond with original signatures and an eight place additional pressure page leaflet from Gerrit Smith one of the and burdens on President men who signed Davis bail bond justifying Lincoln during the war.

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