Yale’s last casualty in the Civil War

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, YaleNews presents a series of short videos about how the conflict impacted the University.  In this video, Yale historian David Blight tells the story of Uriah Parmelee, who dropped out of Yale in 1861 to join the Union forces.

During the American Civil War, the Yale community was as divided as the rest of the nation.

In celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, YaleNews presents a series of short videos about how the conflict impacted the University — from a student confrontation that took place here long before a shot was fired at Fort Sumter to the Yale alumni who fought, on both sides, and in many cases “gave the last full measure of devotion” on the battlefield.

In this video, Yale historian David Blight tells the story of Uriah Parmelee, who dropped out of Yale in 1861 to join the Union forces. An ardent abolitionist, Parmelee devoted himself with renewed dedication to the Union cause after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which made eradicating slavery a primary goal of the war.

See also: Yale remembers the Civil War