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"Beyond Being A War For The Union, This Is A Ware For Civilization": Nelson Dingley Jr.'S Emancipation War On Slavery 1861-1863, Eben Miller

Maine History

When the Civil War began in April 1861, the Union entered the conflict committed to suppressing secession and securing the republic. On the Maine home front, Nelson Dingley Jr., editor of the Lewiston Daily Evening Journal and Republican member of the state legislature, contended that this would require the adoption of measures to weaken slavery, from protecting and even arming

runaway slaves to the emancipation of enslaved peoples. This article examines how Dingley championed emancipationist measures in the Journal during the early stages of the Civil War, situating his voice among fellow Mainers—clergy members, soldiers, elected officials—who likewise espoused the …

Color Sergeant Andrew J. Tozier, 20 Maine Medal Of Honor Winner, James A. Christian

Maine History

Sergeant Andrew Jackson Tozier’s seizing of an abandoned rifle to defend the 20th Maine’s national flag at his lone, advanced position would earn him a Medal of Honor. As Tozier left no personal diary, or personal letters written during the war, scholars must instead turn to archival military records, published regimental histories, contemporary newspaper accounts, and the diaries and letters of Tozier’s regimental comrades. Using these sources, the article herein sketches a portrait of the man General Joshua Chamberlain lauded as “an example of all that was excellent as a soldier.” More broadly, perhaps, it depicts the experiences of a …

Maine's War Governor: Israel Washburn, Jr. And The Race To Save The Union, Kerck Kelsey

Maine History

Almost forgotten today, Israel Washburn, Jr. was one of the greatest political leaders to come out of Maine. Washburn was a self-taught country lawyer in Orono. He won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as 11 Whig in 1850 and served four additional terms. In Congress, he challenged southern control of the federal government, especially in matters pertaining to the protection and expansion of slavery. Discouraged by the passage of the K11nsas-Nebraska Bill, he and others sparked the political revolt among northerners and westerners that resulted in the formation of the Republican Party. Washburn was elected governor of …

Frustrated Glory: John Francis Appleton And Black Soldiers In The Civil War, David M. Gold

Maine History

This article is a review of the life and military of John Francis Appleton who commanded on the first African-American brigades the Union Army during the Civil War.