From the Brigade Commander - January 2025

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in January, 1863, was used as a military strategy to weaken the Confederacy by depriving it of slave labor and encouraging enslaved people to join the Union Army. It also added moral force to the Union cause. Inside the January Newsletter, you’ll find more about the forces of war, politics and the military during the Civil War era.

Also in the newsletter, you’ll also find our standard fare of new book releases, statistical highlights from last month’s meeting, an update on Civil War preservation efforts that took place/are taking place in multiple locations around the country, and, of course, information about the speakers and their planned presentation for our January 7th meeting.

According to Merriam-Webster, the first New Year’s resolution was made in 1671. These promises became so commonplace, in fact, that a Boston newspaper, in 1813, reported it believed folks made these promises to make up for having fully satisfied their sins the year before. Here at the Civil War Roundtable of Eastern Pa., we make the same resolution each year: To make a real difference in the fight to preserve battlefield land and the legacy of our nation’s defining conflict and to provide our members and the community at large with opportunities to develop a greater understanding of the Civil War.

Your membership dollars and other financial support and word-of-mouth advertising of our efforts is key—and greatly appreciated. Happy New Year 2025!

BARRY