By Charles Flood

 

Introduction: During the same month two hundred years ago, two of the most remarkable men in history were born, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Several outstanding books commemorating their birthday have been published. I enjoyed one of these books, 1864 Lincoln at the Gates of History. The book intertwined three main themes—Lincoln’s humanity, his successes and failures as the Nation’s Commander in Chief, and his political sagacity. 

The book 1864, Lincoln at the Gates of History, presented an excellent overview of a pivotal year in our history. That is, the reelection of Lincoln to a second term was the death sentence for the Confederacy, because Lincoln was committed to using the North’s full resources to quash the Southern rebellion.  For much of that year, most observers including Lincoln believed he would not be reelected President. On August 23, 1864, Lincoln asked members of his cabinet to sign a document which committed his followers to give full support to his successor. In part, Lincoln won because one cannot cast a vote for “other”; that is, you have to select a real alternative. In 1860 Lincoln captured only 40% of the overall electorate. For much of 1860, no more than 40% of the voters even in the North and Border States supported Lincoln. Lincoln’s opponents were divided between Radicals who wanted to punish the South and pacifists who felt that enough “blood had been wasted trying to bring the wayward sisters back into the union.” The key to Lincoln’s November victory was the taking of Atlanta by Sherman in September 1864 and the devastation of the Confederate cavalry in the Shenandoah Valley later that month. 

Humanity

The enduring popularity of Lincoln reflects our faith in his fundamental goodness. Despite leading the nation into a war that cost more American dead than all other wars combined, people remember him as compassionate. Our image of Lincoln goes beyond his ungainly homely features. Instead, the great novelist Tolstoy might have captured the essence of Lincoln’s greatness. "We are still too near to his greatness," but after a few centuries more our posterity will find him considerably bigger than we do. His genius is still too strong and too powerful for the common understanding, just as the sun is too hot when its light beams directly on us."

Since 1864 the presidency of America has morphed from an institution that could touch the ordinary folks to an imperial one. While our leaders skillfully use the media to project their desired images, our size and concerns for security have created barriers around our Chief Executive. For example, in 1864 on New Year’s Day 8,000 ordinary civilians celebrated at the White House. Lincoln frequently rode by himself several miles from the White House to visit ailing Union soldiers. He met thousands of individuals who sought to press personally their causes such as petitions for clemency for family members, job applications, or an institution of remedial public works. With very few exceptions Lincoln kindly listened to their impassioned personal pleas despite the pressing problems of the Civil War.

Let me share some of the personal anecdotes that the author mentioned which conveyed his generous spirit.

Lincoln overcame the “collected wisdom” of medical staff and generals to support the building of hospitals in the North. That is, many union soldiers were dying in military hospitals located in the south. The widow of the former governor of Wisconsin met with Lincoln on three separate occasions to press for a different medical cure. That is, she believed that northern soldiers would fare better in hospitals run by volunteers in the North. Lincoln ultimately chose to support her earnest petition, and ordered the building of three hospitals in Wisconsin.

Lincoln intervened on many occasions to spare the life of soldiers who faced execution for desertion. He cried openly on days when soldiers suffered capital punishment. 

Almost every evening Lincoln would ride out to visit the wounded soldiers. He would spend hours sharing stories with these men. On other occasions, Lincoln, Seward, and Stanton would spend evenings and even hold hands at the telegraph office while reading dispatches of union victories and defeats. Lincoln loved the theatre going to some 100 plays during the course of his presidency. His range of taste was wide--Shakespeare to bawdy comedies. He needed “escape” from the pressures of conducting the Civil War.

Lincoln disregarded gossip that both he and his wife were Southern sympathizers. That is, he even let his sister-in-law stay at the White House despite her southern sympathies and the death of her husband who was killed fighting for the Confederates.
 

Military Aspects: Until late 1864 the North suffered disastrously on the military front. The military impotence of the North even after three years of bloodshed remains striking. At the end of 1864 the North was unable to conquer Richmond, some 100 miles from Washington DC. On the other hand, Confederates in the summer of 1864 reached the suburbs of the capital. Pessimists had ample reason to wonder whether the North could really subdue thousands of miles of rebel strongholds.

The vindication of Lincoln’s military policies took shape in September 1864 with two stunning Union victories. First of all, William Sherman conquered Atlanta. Secondly, Phillip Sheridan routed the Confederate cavalry in the Shenandoah Valley.

Lincoln’s appointment of Ulysses Grant, as overall commander of the Union Army in the winter of 1864 completely changed for the better the North’s fighting capability. The brilliance of Grant in rebuilding the Yankees into a formidable military machine frequently is overlooked. Grant implemented successful military tactics and chose the right leaders. In brief Grant leveraged the advantages of the north. Grant decided that by implementing three major offensives he could dominate the outmanned Southern forces. Heretofore, Confederates took advantage of their strong interior lines to reinforce their forces. By Grant mounting three major offensives simultaneously the Confederate forces were kept “too thin.”

Grant selected top military people to replace inept political generals         (Ben Butler, John Freemont, and John Pope). The selection of General William Sherman to subdue Georgia and the Carolinas and Philip Sheridan to conquer the Shenandoah Valley were first rate appointments. Sherman defeated the formidable adversary, Joe Johnston. Sheridan demolished the fabled Southern cavalry led by Jubal Early. Both Sherman and Sheridan were ordered to execute “total war” destroying Confederate crop lands. This policy of waging war against civilians was effective. That is, the impact of privations on the confederate civilians resulted in massive desertions by Confederate troops who returned home to help their famished families. The taking of Atlanta in September 1864 and the demolishing of the Southern cavalry in the Shenandoah Valley in the same month gave the North a needed morale boost. Finally, Grant attacked relentlessly Lee. This forced Lee to defend Richmond, the Confederate capital. In essence, Lee was pinned in. This three-pronged effort broke the back of the Confederate resistance. 

 

Political Situation

During the early part of 1864 Lincoln was so unpopular that there was debate about whether the Republican Party would nominate him to run in 1864. Radicals preferred more militant leaders such as Salmon Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury, Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio and John Freemont, the Republican 1856 presidential candidate. On the other hand, moderate Democrats or Republicans preferred somebody who would negotiate a settlement with the Confederates. In essence, these moderates preferred restoring slavery and keeping the union than the prospect of ongoing war. In the 1864 Democratic convention the Democrats made several fatal mistakes. They adopted a “peace plank” in their convention resolution that in essence accepted secession. Secondly, they chose Copperhead George Pendleton as George McClellan’s running mate. These twin decisions convinced moderates to vote for Lincoln, especially union soldiers.

Lincoln proved himself to be a master politician. Over the course of 1864 he outwitted his Republican opponents and secured by acclamation the Republican nomination.

In regard to his democrat opponent, General McClellan, Lincoln used several key strategies. First of all, Lincoln understood that the union troops would overwhelmingly support him. In essence he recognized that the so-called “love for little Mac” would not cause them to forsake the union cause. That is, soldiers who had sacrificed so much for Union victory were not about to forsake it especially now that the North had able leadership. Thus, Lincoln got furloughs for Northern troops so that they could cast their votes. These northern veterans not only voted for Lincoln but got their families to support him. Secondly, Lincoln skillfully worked with newspapers to show his human side in comparison to the Napoleonic or patrician McClellan. Thirdly, Lincoln cultivated key Union political leaders in key states to “get out the vote.” 

 

In conclusion, how should we remember Lincoln? Doris Kearns Goodwin in her book, Team of Rivals, noted Tolstoy’s admiration for Lincoln.

Leo Tolstoy, February 7, 1908 The World, NYC

“In 1908, in a wild and remote area of the North Caucasus, Leo Tolstoy, the greatest writer of the age, was the guest of a tribal chief "living far away from civilized life in the mountains." Gathering his family and friends, the chief asked Tolstoy to tell stories about the famous men of history. Tolstoy told how he entertained the eager crowd for hours with tales of Alexander, Caesar, Frederick the Great, Napoleon. When he was winding to a close, the chief stood and said, "But you have not told us a syllable about the greatest general and greatest ruler of the world. We want to know something about him. He was a hero. He spoke with the voice of thunder; he laughed like the sunrise and his deeds were strong as the rock .... His name was Lincoln and the country in which he lived is called America, which is so far away that if a youth should journey to reach it he would be an old man when he arrived. Tell us of that man."

"I looked at them," Tolstoy recalled, "and saw their faces all aglow, while their eyes were burning. I saw that those rude barbarians were really interested in a man whose name and deeds had already become a legend." He told them everything he knew about Lincoln's "home life and youth ... his habits, his influence upon the people and his physical strength." When he finished, they were so grateful for the story that they presented him with "a wonderful Arabian horse." The next morning, as Tolstoy prepared to leave, they asked if he could possibly acquire for them a picture of Lincoln. Thinking that he might find one at a friend's house in the neighboring town, Tolstoy asked one of the riders to accompany him. "I was successful in getting a large photograph from my friend," recalled Tolstoy. As he handed it to the rider, he noted the man's hands trembled as he took it. "He gazed for several minutes silently, like one in reverent prayer, his eyes filled with tears."

Tolstoy went on to observe, "This little incident proves how largely the name of Lincoln is worshipped throughout the world and how legendary his personality has become. Now, why was Lincoln so great that he overshadows all other national heroes? He really was not a great general like Napoleon or Washington; he was not a skilful statesman like Gladstone or Frederick the Great; but his supremacy expresses itself altogether in his peculiar moral power and in the greatness of his character.

"Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his country -- bigger than all the Presidents together.

"We are still too near to his greatness," Tolstoy concluded, "but after a few centuries more our posterity will find him considerably bigger than we do. His genius is still too strong and too powerful for the common understanding, just as the sun is too hot when its light beams directly on us."