If war had ended in Richmond, slavery issue would have been unresolved

Excellent piece.

Via KP

It was May 1862, and panic occupied the city. Hostile gunboats had steamed up the James River within a few miles of Richmond. On land, the largest army ever assembled in North America approached the city's doorstep.

The double threat to Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, presented a real possibility that the Civil War would end barely a year after Virginia seceded from the United States.

Instead of forever settling the issue of slavery, an early end to the war would have settled only the issue of Union.

The eyes of the world were on Richmond 150 years ago, a focus that will be reflected in 60 days of commemorative events starting Wednesday.

"This is an event of world historical significance," said Ed Ayers, University of Richmond president and historian of the American South.

"World history would have been different if (the Union) had come a few more miles into Richmond; we would not have had the end of slavery in any way like it happened. Slavery had been damaged, but it was not official federal policy to end slavery. If the Union had come back together with slavery in place, I think world history would have been different."

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In Richmond, Confederates showed a mixture of pride and uneasiness in the spring of 1862, Ayers said.

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