Washington sat at the center of the Civil War, serving as the Union capital with Confederate territory just across the river. These posts cover the forts, hospitals, battles, figures, and everyday life that defined the city during the war years.
A macabre photo share from 1865 of Henry Wirz being executed for war crimes in the Civil War. Wirz was captain of the prisoner of war Camp Sumter near Andersonville, Georgia and one of only two men tried, convicted, and executed for war crimes in the Civil War.
Discovering the National Archives is a fascinating journey through history. Here’s a look at Abraham Lincoln’s nomination of William Seward to be Secretary of State in 1861, as well as a photo of Seward taken by Matthew Brady.
GWU started as a Baptist college on Meridian Hill in 1821. Here’s the story of how it got its name — a $500,000 deal, a broken promise, and a dead president’s bequest that Congress ignored.
An 1862 Civil War map of Washington, DC and its surroundings, showing the fortifications around the city, including Fort Totten and Fort Lincoln.
Digging through Google Books, I found “The Black Code of the District of Columbia in Force September 1st, 1848” – a 122-page book of laws governing all aspects of life and behavior for African-Americans in Washington, D.C. in the 1800’s. Read on to learn about the shocking provisions in this book.
In September 1930, staff at the Mayflower Hotel found Lt. Col. Richard Creecy dead from a pistol shot and his wife dying from hatchet wounds inside a double-locked fifth-floor room. The coroner called it a suicide. Homicide detectives, the Marine Corps, and the Creecy family weren’t so sure.
In 1840, Washington charged $400 for a license to deal in slaves, $100 for a billiard table and $5 on a female dog, per A Picture of Washington.
Arlington County is named for a plantation. The plantation was named for a mansion. The mansion was named for an English village.
On April 10th, 1865, workmen from the Washington Navy Yard, accompanied by a band, visited Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles to congratulate them and celebrate the Union victory in the Civil War. Lincoln addressed the men and requested a performance of “Dixie” to close the celebration.
