In conjunction with Greg Downs’ recent book After Appomattox, online maps showing the role of the army in Reconstruction are available. This map shows towns and cities occupied by the Union army in June 1865 at the beginning of Reconstruction.
Downs points out that even after the surrenders of the Confederate armies in April and May of 1865 local Confederate governments still continued in many places. Also, many former slave owners continued to illegally hold black people in bondage after the surrenders. The slaves were only released from bondage when the Union army marched into the countryside after the defeat of the Confederate armies. Months after the shooting war ended, African Americans were still being freed by U.S. soldiers.
I’m really looking forward to more of this blog. Is there a way to subscribe?
Interesting that Dahlonega, Georgia (October, 1868) has Federal Troops for some time. The local citizen hung some union POW’s during the war and threw their bodies in a local river.