War and Politics:
Lincoln, Virginia and the Election of 1864
How did the bloody military stalemate in Virginia affect the presidential election of 1864?
Also, how did candidates and generals respond to events during that long summer?
Union Newspaper References to the Virginia Campaign
and the 1864 Presidential Election
Courtesy of Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers Collection -
an online resource of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress
Click on the image to the left to see each article
Or click on the title below each image to explore the larger Chronicling America file
Columbia Democrat & Bloomsburg General Advertiser
(Bloomsburg, PA) - June 18, 1864, Page One
Article: Correspondence - Grant's Virginia Campaign
This article summarizes the actions of the Army of the Potomac on May 3rd through May 6th, or the Battle of the Wilderness. Mentioned are the mishaps of some Union leaders, such as Hooker and Burnside. Grant is quoted as saying "previous battles were but skirmishes compared to this."
Columbia Democrat & Bloomsburg General Advertiser
(Bloomsburg, PA) - June 18, 1864, Page One
Article: The Cleveland Nomination - General Fremont's Letter of Acceptance
John C. Fremont thanks the Radical Republican Convention for their presidential nomination. He discusses the party's dedication to the abolition of slavery and blames Lincoln for the party's division - "Had Mr. Lincoln remained faithful to the principles he was elected to defend, no schism could have been created and no contest would have been possible."
The Star of the North
(Bloomsburg, PA) - August 17, 1864, Page One
Article: National Intelligencer Re-Print, Virginia Campaign Summary
The article explains several reasons as to why Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia was not a success, including Grant's overestimations and the Union forces lack of tactical skills.
East Saginaw Courier
(East Saginaw, MI) - September 28, 1864, Page Four
Article: Our Best Republican Journal comes out for McClellan
E.C. Seaman, Editor of the Ann Arbor Journal, shifted the political support of his paper way from Lincoln/Johnson and towards McClellan/Pendleton. He explained his reason for the shift: "Public sentiment, in favor of General McClellan, has been increasing in force very rapidly...since the failure of General Grant's campaign in Virginia."
Daily Ohio Statesman
(Columbus, OH) - July 16, 1864, Page One
Article: General Grant and McClellan's Virginia Campaign Compared
In response to Jubal Early's attack on Washington, D.C., immense criticism of Grant's Virginia campaign is discussed and compared to McClellan's campaign from 1862 (topics such as ability and numbers are analyzed). Grant's Overland Campaign is described as an unnecessary and fearful waste of human life."
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