George E. Stephens

The Emancipation Proclamation, which became law on January 1, 1863, was the impetus for further conflict between abolitionists and the Northern pro-slavery faction known as the Copperheads. The debate was made even more complex and divisive when it was joined by free African Americans now demanding to take their place in the ranks of the Union army. While blacks by the thousands sought to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts and other all-black regiments, their participation in the war was fiercely opposed by those who still sympathized with the South.

The debate grew especially bitter in Pennsylvania, the state that saw more battles and bloodshed during the war than any other in the North. The Copperheads were strong in Pennsylvania, and when the enlistment drive began among the state's blacks, this pro-slavery faction mounted a campaign to discourage black enlistment and to...