Union-Occupied Maryland
Union-Occupied Maryland
by Claudia Floyd
English | EPUB | 5.0 MB
by Claudia Floyd
English | EPUB | 5.0 MB
When the first Federal troops arrived in the spring of 1861, Marylandwas in the precarious position of a border state. Predominately loyal to theUnion, Marylanders saw the influx of soldiers as defenders. Yet for theminority supporting the Confederacy, the Federals were oppressors. HistorianClaudia Floyd explores this complex relationship between Maryland civilians andtheir Union occupiers. Residents on both sides of the conflict faced pillaging,vandalizing and criminal acts from errant soldiers. Civilians also quicklyrealized that Federal troops could not guarantee protection from Confederateinvasions. Meanwhile, there was a strong backlash over African Americanemancipation and enlistment in the longtime slave state. Through contemporaryaccounts, Floyd creates a nuanced portrait of citizens and soldiers caught upin the turbulent upheaval of war.