Lincoln and His Generals is a wonderful little gem written by T. Harry Williams and published in 1952. It is a concise and clear look at Lincoln actions as commander-in-chief. If you are interested in the war and how Lincoln conducted military affairs, please read this book (although it is hard to find!)
Williams does not get bogged down in military minutia, he concentrates instead on Lincoln's evolving plans and strategies. You will learn about Lincoln, and also better understand Civil War battle tactics. One caveat--you won't be very fond of General George B. McClellan after reading this volume!
I was introduced to Lincoln and His Generals in graduate school (Southern Illinois University) in the early 1980s, and I now re-read it every year. I will probably read it again soon. And better yet, I still have my dog-eared, paperback copy of the 1952 Vintage/Knopf edition, different cover and all (see below).
summary: Lincoln’s political career seemed over by 1850, but the Kansas-Nebraska bill and the ensuing sectional dispute offered him fresh opportunities. He became a leader of the new Republican Party in Illinois and was serious contender for a United States senate seat. Lincoln was narrowly denied the nomination in the 1854 senate contest; but as Kearns points out, “Lincoln expressed no hard feelings” after his defeat and his “magnanimity served him well.” In fact, she argues that Lincoln gained friends in defeat—something Seward and Chase had failed to do during their careers.
Lincoln’s chance came again in 1858 when he was the clear choice of the Republicans to face incumbent Democrat senator Stephen A. Douglas. At that time the “Little Giant” from Chicago was one of the most famous men in America—probably the most renown U.S. senator in the nation. And Douglas fully expected to be the Democratic nominee for president in 1860.
Lincoln’s initial strategy was to follow Douglas around and speak after the senator left the stage. Or Lincoln would announce to the crowd that he would speak the next day and answer Douglas’ arguments. There was really no reason for the more famous Douglas to debate or share the stage with the little-known lawyer from Springfield. Douglas could gain little from a series of debates.
But that’s just what happened in the fall of 1858. Douglas, sensing he would win the election anyway, agreed to seven debates around the state of Illinois. Each debate lasted three hours! As many as 15,000 people came to each of these venues. Because of the subjects being discussed and the importance of Illinois in the national electorate—the debates were followed nationwide. The New York media sent reporters and stenographers to record the words of Lincoln and Douglas. These shorthand "words” were wired back east and appeared in the newspapers for all to read.
Douglas won the election (remember, senators were selected by the state legislatures in those days, so Lincoln didn’t stand much of a chance since the statehouse had a Democratic majority); but Lincoln more than held his own against Douglas. And time after time, his arguments and assertions put Douglas on the defensive.
Lincoln had become a national figure, and he made a name for himself. But now what? He still did not hold office. His career appeared to be stalled once again.
Terms
This chapter, instead of Discussion Questions, I am going to post some terms to investigate. Here are five important events/groups of the late 1850s. See if you can find the meaning and significance of each.
1. Dred Scott decision
2. Freeport Doctrine
3. Bleeding Kansas
4. Know-Nothings
5. Sumner caning
Where Lincoln and Douglas debated in the fall of 1858. These towns represented seven of the nine Illinois congressional districts. The candidates decided not to debate in Chicago or Springfield (the two other districts) because they had spoken in each of those cities numerous times already.
summary: The United States should have been ecstatic after the territorial gains from the Mexican War. But all it really did was reopen the slavery controversy that had been festering for some time. The 1850s is one of the most fascinating decades in American history. So many things happened; yet it remains difficult to gauge the importance of each event since we know that a Civil War will take place at the end of the decade.
It is clear, however, that one extremely important event was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Of all the divisive things that took place, this was the one that probably caused the most damage (although the misguided Dred Scott decision might make a good case for the top spot). All the efforts to forge a North-South compromise starting in 1820 were swept away by the Kansas-Nebraska legislation. It’s still hard to believe that an otherwise intelligent Stephen Douglas (pictured above) would have thought that simply allowing people in the states to vote slavery up or down would be the answer. But Douglas, like many others, was blindly searching for a solution that might keep the country together.
When reading this chapter, think about how people in each section heard the political rhetoric. How did Southern political demands appear to a Northern farmer or worker? And when a Southerner heard Northern abolitionists talking, what might they have thought?
Discussion Questions
1. What did the South want from the North? And why did Southern demands become more radical as the decade progressed?
2. What was the Fugitive Slave law and why was it so important to each section?
3. How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 change the political situation in the country?
4. How was Lincoln’s career affected by the Kansas-Nebraska bill?
5. Was popular sovereignty a potential solution to the sectional problem? Why or why not?
6. Was this sectional divide inevitable? Why or why not?
summary: This short chapter primarily concerns Lincoln’s one term in Congress and the firestorm that surrounded the nation during those two years—the Mexican War. We see that Lincoln was extremely popular with his colleagues, but had some serious political problems with the War (he opposed the war but supported the troops). While he may have been correct that President James K. Polk (pictured on left) started the war solely for conquest (it wouldn’t be last time the United States conquered territory under the guise of democracy); Lincoln was still opposing a popular military action. Many of Lincoln's friends and supporters thought he had wrecked his political career. But the real conflagration started after the War--what to do with these conquered lands. Would slavery be allowed in the new territories or not? This issue ignited an already simmering sectional divide and led directly to the Civil War in 1861—political parties shifted, sectionalism was fortified, and both the North and South began to dig in their heels.
Discussion Questions
1. Why was Lincoln and the Whig Party opposed to the Mexican War?
2. What was Lincoln’s “spot resolution” and what was President Polk's response?
3. Why were American’s generally in support of this war?
4. What was the Wilmot Proviso and why was it so important politically at this time?
5. How were Abe and Mary getting along at this time?
6. We see in this chapter that Seward, Lincoln, and Chase exhibit some real differences on what to do about slavery. How did they differ and why?
Other Misc. Points
-Remember as you read this chapter and the next that Lincoln was basically out of politics for a time. He served one term in Congress and then went back to practicing law. His chances of rising again seemed slim. Some historians suggest that Lincoln was just biding his time. But a more realistic explanation is that Lincoln's political career was nearly over, and he knew it. It would take some major changes to allow him to reemerge as a national figure.
-The map below shows the lands taken during the Mexican War (yellow and light pink). While Texas and the surrounding areas were technically annexed before the conflict, those territorial gains are still considered part of the Mexican War.
Lincoln and His Generals is a wonderful little gem written by T. Harry Williams and published in 1952. It is a concise and clear look at Lincoln actions as commander-in-chief. If you are interested in the war and how Lincoln conducted military affairs, please read this book (although it is hard to find!)
