This is the second of a series of posts, generally daily, on the events and milestones related to the Civil War from 160 years before the date posted. This post is a “catch up” post to bring the blog up to date. 12/01/1860—Robert Anderson makes his third request for reinforcements at Fort Moultrie 12/04/1860—Outgoing President [...]

This is the first of a series of posts, generally daily, on the events and milestones related to the Civil War from 160 years before the date posted. This post is a “catch up” post to bring the blog up to date, starting with the election of Lincoln. 11/06/1860—United States presidential election: Abraham Lincoln elected [...]

Entertain no proposition for a compromise in regard to the extension of slavery. The instant you do they have us under again: all our labor is lost, and sooner or later must be done over. Douglas is sure to be again trying to bring in his “popular sovereignty.” Have none of it. The tug has [...]

December 10th.—We have been up to the Mulberry Plantation with Colonel Colcock and Judge Magrath, who were sent to Columbia by their fellow-citizens in the low country, to hasten the slow movement of the wisdom assembled in the State Capital. Their message was, they said: “Go ahead, dissolve the Union, and be done with it, [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 8, 1860. My dear Sir: With your permission I shall at the proper time nominate you to the Senate for confirmation as Secretary of State for the United States. Please let me hear from you at your own earliest convenience. Your friend and obedient servant, A. LINCOLN. (Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, [...]

To Governor WM. SPRAGUE, Providence, R.I. New York, December 6, 1860 My Dear Sir,—The deep solicitude which the events in the South must call forth in the breast of every American citizen induces me to address you these lines. The secession of South Carolina, which must be looked upon now as an accomplished fact, will [...]

To William Martin, Charleston, S.C. New York, November 30, 1860. My Dear Sir,—I have received your letter, and you will have heard from my house, that we are entirely satisfied with the execution of our small exchange orders. The unfortunate state of our politics, which in your State particularly have assumed a most threatening aspect, [...]

To John C. Bradley, Huntsville, Ala. New York, November 28, 1860. My Dear Sir,—I have received your letter of the 23d inst., and am rejoiced to see that the conservative men of your part of the country have moved in the right direction. The patriotic men of the country look to the Douglas and Bell [...]

To Julius Izard Pringle, Charleston, S.C. New York, November 26, 1860 Dear Pringle,—I note the contents of your note of the 22d inst. The present political and financial crisis will, I trust, soon pass over and every thing turn back to its regular channels. It will then appear clearly a qui la faute of the [...]

To the Hon. Herschel V. Johnson Speir’s Turnout, Jefferson City, Ga. New York, November 22, 1860. My Dear Sir,—I have seen with great satisfaction that amidst all the turmoil of passionate madness, fed by the incendiary speeches of Yancey and Toombs, your patriotic voice is loud in favor of the Union. Heaven grant that the [...]

I am not at liberty to shift my ground. (Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILL., November 16, 1860. My dear Sir: Mr. Ridgely showed me a letter of yours in which you manifest some anxiety that I should make some public declaration with a view to favorably affect the business of the country. I said to [...]

On November 14th, 1860, Alexander H. Stephens, who would later become vice-president of the Confederate States of America on February 11, 1861, argued against secession in a speech delivered before the Georgia legislature.   In it, he countered most, if not all of the arguments for secession and identified one of the strongest arguments against [...]

To JOHN FORSYTH, Mobile Ala. New York, November 11, 1860 My Dear Sir,—I have followed, with the most intense anxiety, the events which the election of Lincoln has called forth at the South. While I fully appreciate the legitimate grievances of your section of the country, I deprecate sincerely the means which a large portion [...]

CHARLESTON, S. C, November 8, I860.—Yesterday on the train, just before we reached Fernandina, a woman called out: “That settles the hash.” Tanny touched me on the shoulder and said: “Lincoln’s elected.” “How do you know?” “The man over there has a telegram.” The excitement was very great. Everybody was talking at the same time. [...]

November 4, 1860 Fellow Citizens,—In thanking you for the honor which you have conferred upon me, I cannot refrain from addressing you a few brief remarks at this critical juncture of our political affairs. In less than four days you will be called upon to record your votes at an election, upon the result of [...]

(Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 29, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 26th is just received. Your suggestion that I in a certain event shall write a letter setting forth my conservative views and intentions is certainly a very worthy one. But would it do any good? If I were to labor a [...]

(Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 26, 1860. My dear Sir: Your very kind letter of the 10th was duly received, for which please accept my thanks. I have another letter, from a writer unknown to me, saying the officers of the army at Fort Kearny have determined, in case of Republican success at the [...]

Letter To J. C. Lee (Confidential.) Springfield, Illinois, October 24, 1860. Dear Sir: Yours of the 14th was received some days ago, and should have been answered sooner. I never gave fifty dollars, nor one dollar, nor one cent, for the object you mention, or any such object. I once subscribed twenty-five dollars, to be [...]

(Confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 23, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 13th was duly received. I appreciate your motive when you suggest the propriety of my writing for the public something disclaiming all intention to interfere with slaves or slavery in the States; but in my judgment it would do no good. I have [...]

  Letter to Miss Grace Bedell (Private.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 19, 1860. My dear little Miss: Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I have three sons–one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole [...]

Letter to Professor Gardner SPRINGFIELD, ILL., September 28, 1860. Dear Sir: Some specimens of your Soap have been used at our house and Mrs. L. declares it is a superior article. She at the same time protests that I have never given sufficient attention to the “soap question” to be a competent judge.     [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, September 22, 1860. Dear Doctor: Yours of July 18th was received some time ago. When you wrote you had not learned the result of the Democratic conventions at Charleston and Baltimore. With the two tickets in the field I should think it possible for our friends to carry Oregon. But the general result, [...]

The Republican Party Going to the Right House—Currier & Ives lithograph (1860) Lithograph print on wove paper From Library of Congress: Abraham Lincoln’s supporters are portrayed as radicals and eccentrics of various stripes. The satire is loosely based on an anti-Fremont cartoon from the previous presidential race, “The Great Republican Reform Party” (no. 1856-22), also [...]

SEPTEMBER 12, 1860. Fellow Democrats,—I thank you most cordially for the honor which you confer upon me by permitting me to preside over your deliberations on this occasion. It is an occasion the importance of which cannot be impressed too much upon our minds. We have come together in order to pledge our support to [...]