Diary of Josephine Shaw Lowell: April 12, 1862

A year ago today the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter. One year of war! and here we are with 700,000 men under arms, great battles fought and to be fought! George was counting over this evening, what we had accomplished this year in Freedom's cause, and he named the following five great steps: 1st, The Government of the United States has entered into a treaty with England for the more effectual repression of the slave trade. 2d, This year has witnessed the first capital punishment of a slave trader. 3d, Steps have been taken for facilitating general emancipation. 4th, Slavery is abolished in the District of Columbia (a thing which has been petitioned for since Mother was 23 years old and which only the war had power to accomplish). 5th, Negroes are permitted to carry mail bags. Ten common years might have effected that, not to speak of what makes such things possible, — the great revulsion in public feeling on the questions of freedom and slavery. It is exactly like a revival — a direct work of God, so wonderful are some of the conversions.

SOURCE: William Rhinelander Stewart, The Philanthropic Work of Josephine Shaw Lowell, p. 24