I have been so focused on my families safety that I almost forgot about the 1864 Election. In November it was announced that Lincoln won reelection in November. I am so glad he has helped the Union through so many victories and the army has been doing so well. The Union wouldn't be doing so well without his support; however, in this election he lost followers even from the Republican Party. My husband has said that people say that Lincoln doesn't care enough about slavery and that he is holding too much authority. I don't agree with either of these ideas because Lincoln has tried hard to make slavery illegal and he holds a grasp on the country because if he didn't it would fall apart. We needed a leader to win this war and he fits the job perfectly. Lincoln ran against a former Union commander, George McClellan, who was elected by the Republican Party. Thankfully many people started to favor Lincoln after all the victories that the Union army was seeing and soldiers who were loyal to President Lincoln were even allowed to go home and vote. Zachary told me that the ballots noted that McClellan achieved 45% of the popular vote but Lincoln received an amazing 212 out of the 233 electoral votes. The north has shown the south that we will not negotiate with them. Slavery will be banned once and all will be equal and free in the United States. The south is finally almost defeated.
Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
"United States Presidential Election of 1864 | United States Government." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
February 1865
I just received a very long letter from my son about a battle that had been heating up since the summer of 1864. Lee's army has been making desperate stances against General Grant. Adam said that they were trying to get into Richmond but they were stopped at Petersburg by the Confederates. In my opinion it was not smart for the Confederacy to try to stop the Union army at Petersburg because it was a necessary railroad center. All supplies to Richmond would be cut off but I have full faith in Grant and I was right to believe in him. Adam says that Grant seems to prefer siege tactics and the Union army closed in on Petersburg from the summer to the winter. My son said that the Union built great trenches but the Confederates did as well and both sides created fortifications. Adam said that he grew quite impatient with the whole process and by March 1865, 30 miles of defense rapped around Petersburg. As always the battle was bloody and I read in a newspaper that 40,000 Union soldiers were killed compared to the 28,000 Confederates yet we didn't lose. Adam said that there were replacement soldiers in the Union army but the Confederates didn't have replacements so they had very few men therefore growing the strength of the Union. During this battle the Confederates realized they were in desperate need of any kind of support. In February of 1865 out of desperation the Confederate Vice President, Alexander Stephens, and the rest of his part went to negotiate with Lincoln. My husband has told about how the south is looking for an end to the war; however, the south didn't agree with the terms of the Thirteenth Amendment. The amendment had already been introduced to the Constitution by the US Congress stating that slavery would be outlawed but the Confederate peace delegation was unwilling to throw slavery away.Lincoln doesn't seem to take no as an answer and that is what I like out him. Despite the outcome of the meeting that took place in February, he knew the north would be victorious. According to Zachary, Lincoln wanted to find a way to bring the Confederacy back into the Union and this proved to be quite a challenge. Many northerners felt that the south should be punished but Lincoln had opposite ideas. He wanted to defeat the Confederates and abandon slavery but his vision included a nation of peace and justice. Lincoln announced I. His second Inaugural Address that the states shall be "with malice toward none" and Americans will "do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace." The United States will be whole once again and I have just received the news that the thirteenth Amendment has been passed so I am very pleased at the moment.
"The Thirteenth Amendment." The Thirteenth Amendment. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
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