Historian Will Explore Challenges President Lincoln Faced

While a victorious end to the Civil War continued to elude Abraham Lincoln in 1864, the president engaged in a relentless reelection campaign against his former general George B. McClellan. On Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2pm in the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, historian Fred Martin, author of "Abraham Lincoln's Path to Reelection in 1864: Our Greatest Victory," will explore the challenges that Lincoln faced on his path to reelection in 1864, including the factions that opposed him and the realities of funding the war. With northerners tiring of a civil war which had dragged beyond three years with no end in the foreseeable future, Lincoln believed that he may not be reelected. “This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so co-operate with the President-elect, as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he can not possibly save it afterwards." Luckily, military victories during the fall, including Sherman’s capture of Atlanta, renewed hope in Northerners that the war would end and gave Lincoln a distinct advantage. Lincoln not only won the popular vote, with a 55% majority, but he won a landslide number of electoral votes, receiving 212 electoral votes, while McClellan received only 21. “The 1864 presidential campaign continues to be discussed and analyzed by historians and Fred’s work is a great addition to the existing scholarship on the topic.” Lincoln Memorial Shrine Curator Nathan Gonzales stated. The campaign is of particular interest to Martin, whose great-great uncle, General Thomas Ogden Osborn, took leave of the military to campaign for Lincoln’s reelection. “Fred has spent the past 20 years devoted to researching Lincoln and we are fortunate that he will share his vast knowledge with us,” said Associate Archivist Maria Carrillo. The presentation will take place in the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. Attendees are encouraged to explore the Shrine’s current exhibit “1864: This Mighty Scourge of War” for more information on the election and the other issues that made 1864 the bloodiest year of the war. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (909)798-7632. The Shrine is open Tuesday to Sunday, 1-5pm, and is located at 125 W. Vine St. in Redlands.