AUGUST 11, 1863:
Following
the triple defeats at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Tullahoma, Confederate
desertions reach an all-time high. Confederate President Jefferson Davis issues
an amnesty to all deserters, asking them to return to their units; he rejects
Lee’s offer to resign in a heartfelt letter.
Elsewhere in the world, the British lead an international
fleet, including the U.S.S. WYOMING, in bombarding the Japanese engaged in the
Satsuma Rebellion at Kagoshima.
