Category Archives: Northern Politics During War

cornerstones as stumbling blocks

Posted on February 13, 2015 by SUMPTER

Even peace may be purchased at too high a price. – Benjamin Franklin 150 years ago this week news of President Lincoln’s report to Congress about the peace negotiations at Hampton Roads would have made its way to upstate New … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Confederate States of America, Lincoln Administration, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

review board

Posted on February 6, 2015 by SUMPTER

Many states and localities were dissatisfied with the quotas assigned them under the December 19th call for 300,000 more soldiers. President Lincoln ordered a board to determine fair quotas so the draft could proceed speedily. I do not know if … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Lincoln Administration, Military Matters, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

pleading with the president

Posted on February 3, 2015 by SUMPTER

New York State and its localities were unhappy with the way the federal government was conducting the draft in the winter of 1865. Governor Reuben Fenton sent a couple state senators to Washington, D.C. to complain to the nation’s chief … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Month, Military Matters, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“service years” quota

Posted on January 26, 2015 by SUMPTER

150 years ago this month a newspaper up in Wayne County, New York complained about how it understood the federal government was implementing President Lincoln’s December 1864 call for 300,000 more soldiers. The new quotas would be based on the … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Month, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

summarized judgment

Posted on January 10, 2015 by SUMPTER

Seneca Falls papers during the Civil War seemed to lean strongly Democrat. Here one of the publications has no criticisms of President Lincoln for firing the political General Butler. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in January 1865: Exit … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Lincoln Administration, Military Matters, Northern Politics During War | Tagged | Leave a comment

shaming the abolitionists?

Posted on December 23, 2014 by SUMPTER

A Democrat publication wondered why, if over two million adult men voted for President Lincoln’s re-election, the President had to threaten a draft to come up with 300,000 more soldiers. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1864 or … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Month, Lincoln Administration, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

reconstruction bill

Posted on December 20, 2014 by SUMPTER

Four years to the day after South Carolina officially seceded from the United States, Richmond citizens could read about a bill in the Yankee Congress to manage the return of the rebel states: slavery would be forever abolished; provisional governors … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Confederate States of America, Northern Politics During War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“virtual defeat”

Posted on December 9, 2014 by SUMPTER

A Democrat-leaning publication in upstate New York was skeptical about claims of a Union victory at the Battle of Franklin. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in December 1864: The Battle at Franklin. The battle of Franklin, Tenn., on … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Month, Military Matters, Northern Politics During War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

behavioral economics

Posted on December 6, 2014 by SUMPTER

And General Sherman (hey, it’s December 1864). On the same day that President Lincoln nominated Salmon P. Chase to serve as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court he presented Congress with his annual message. You can read about Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Lincoln Administration, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uncle, can you spare a few dollars?

Posted on November 18, 2014 by SUMPTER

“I have a little favor to ask of you today.” At American Memory you can read a letter written 150 years ago yesterday to President Lincoln. I can’t make out all the words, but it seems that in a celebratory … Continue reading →

Posted in 150 Years Ago This Week, Lincoln Administration, Northern Politics During War, Northern Society, The election of 1864 | Tagged , | Leave a comment