Yet, in the summer of 1864 (a full year after the Union victory at the battle of Gettysburg and the capture of Vicksburg) Lincoln was so unpopular that a fair number of leaders within his own political party supported convening a second nominating convention to drop him from the presidential ticket.1 Growing war fatigue throughout the North and concern that Lincoln would lose to his likely political opponent, General George McClellan, had conservative Republicans looking for a different candidate who could end the war with honor. Fortunately for our country he decided to sleep on the idea first, and after rising the next day, thought otherwise, and discarded the letter, recommitting himself to leading the Union to a victory where the slaves were freed and the Union was restored under the philosophy and principles of our Founding.3 While operationally the Union fared better in the West, capturing Vicksburg in July 1863, thereby consolidating control of the strategically significant Mississippi River, and by the end of that year, ensuring that Kentucky, Missouri, and most of Tennessee were back in the Union column; all knew that the rebellion would continue until Lee’s army was defeated and Virginia returned to the fold.
Author: December 16, 2025
Published at: 2025-12-16 00:00:00
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