Marek 1860s, Civil War, Newport, politics, Sarah Josepha Hale, SOURCE=Library of Congress

Letter to Lincoln (1863)

Newport native Sarah Josepha Hale appeals to President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War, and instigates an official national holiday! << BEFORE: Thanksgiving, 1862 NEXT: Hale's 1864 Thanksgiving editorial >> I've heavily excerpted the original letter to make this comics-format version.  For further reading, see these notes & links: Hale's letter of Sept. 28, … Continue reading Letter to Lincoln (1863)

Marek 1860s, Civil War, John Adams Dix, SOURCE=Library of Congress, SOURCE=NH.gov

Dix’s Letter to New Orleans (1861)

As the union begins to crumble, Treasury Secretary Dix orders a revenue cutter in New Orleans back North; the captain refuses, and Dix sends this telegram to his agent in the South: At a time when the outgoing Buchanan administration was doing little to avert the ongoing crisis of Southern secession, Dix's order electrified both sides … Continue reading Dix’s Letter to New Orleans (1861)