Rise to Greatness

by David Von Drehle

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  Scott, Winfield. Memoirs of Lieut-General Scott, LLD; Written by Himself. 2 volumes. New York: Sheldon, 1864.

  Seale, William. The President’s House: A History. Volume 1. Washington, DC: White House Historical Association, 1986.

  Sears, Stephen W. George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. New York: Da Capo Press, 1988.

  _____. Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam. New Haven, CT: Ticknor & Fields, 1983.

  The Selected Letters of Charles Sumner. Volume 2. Edited by Beverly Wilson Palmer. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1990.

  Shenk, Joshua Wolf. Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

  Sherman, William Tecumseh. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman. New York: Library of America, 1990.

  Sherman’s Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860–1865. Edited by Brooks D. Simpson and Jean V. Berlin. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999.

  Simon, James F. Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession, and the President’s War Powers. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006.

  Simon, John Y. Grant and Halleck: Contrasts in Command, the Frank L. Klement Lectures. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 1996.

  Smith, Jean Edward. Grant. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.

  Soodalter, Ron. Hanging Captain Gordon: The Life and Trial of an American Slave Trader. New York: Atria, 2006.

  Speed, Thomas. The Union Cause in Kentucky, 1860–1865. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907.

  Stampp, Kenneth M., ed. The Causes of the Civil War. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974.

  Stauffer, John. The Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002.

  Sterne, Laurence. A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. New York: J. F. Taylor, 1904.

  Stevens, Joseph E. 1863: The Rebirth of a Nation. New York: Bantam Books, 1999.

  Stille, Charles J. How a Free People Conduct a Long War: A Chapter from English History. Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1862.

  Stoddard, William O. Inside the White House in War Times: Memoirs and Reports of Lincoln’s Secretary. Edited by Michael Burlingame. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2000.

  _____. Lincoln at Work: Sketches from Life. Boston: United Society of Christian Endeavor, 1900.

  _____. Lincoln’s Third Secretary: The Memoirs of William O. Stoddard. Edited by William O. Stoddard, Jr. New York: Exposition Press, 1955.

  _____. Lincoln’s White House Secretary: The Adventurous Life of William O. Stoddard. Edited by Harold Holzer. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University, 2007.

  Sutherland, Daniel E. Fredericksburg & Chancellorsville: The Dare Mark Campaign. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998.

  Swanson, James L. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer. New York: William Morrow, 2006.

  Tap, Bruce. Over Lincoln’s Shoulder: The Committee on the Conduct of the War. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1998.

  Thomas, Benjamin P. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography. New York: Modern Library, 1968.

  Thomas, William G. The Iron Way: Railroads, the Civil War, and the Making of Modern America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2011.

  Trefousse, Hans L. The Radical Republicans: Lincoln’s Vanguard for Racial Justice. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1968.

  Tripp, C. A. The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Free Press, 2005.

  Trollope, Anthony. An Autobiography. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1883.

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  The Wartime Papers of Robert E. Lee. Edited by Clifford Dowdey and Louis H. Manarin. New York: Da Capo Press, 1987.

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  In 1968, when I was in second or third grade, my parents joined the Book-of-the-Month Club and allowed me to choose a few of the promotional books they received for a penny. I chose Bruce Catton’s magnificent three-volume history of the Army of the Potomac—books far, far beyond my capacity to read or comprehend at the time. But when I look at them on my shelf today, they remind me how enduring my interest has been in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. My desire to indulge this fascination was the motivation behind this book.

  Although this was a labor of love, at many points along the way the emphasis was on “labor.” I would never have finished without the generous support of my patrons at Time magazine (Rick Stengel, John Huey, Nancy Gibbs, and Michael Duffy) and, earlier, at The Washington Post (Don Graham, Leonard Downie, and Phil Bennett).

  It is widely said that books no longer get edited, but it is my great fortune to know that this is not always true. At Henry Holt, George Hodgman helped me launch this
project. Then John Sterling—perhaps the world’s most patient man—passed his careful eye over every sentence. Even then, Jolanta Benal dug into the pages and found so much that we missed. At every stage, my publisher’s devotion to this project was a gift and an honor. Thanks, Esther Newberg, for matching me with them.

  I further imposed on a number of others to read the manuscript, and all of them came through with sharp-eyed advice. They made this book better than it would have been otherwise: Joel Achenbach, Trent Jones, Kate Masur, Bob Richardson, Tom Shroder, John Stauffer, Mike Stradinger, and Gene Weingarten. Where imperfections remain, the fault is mine.

  The helpful staff of the Library of Congress not only guided me through that incomparable resource, they also provided me with an office where I wrote one failed opening after another.

  A number of historians listened to my ideas and offered encouragement. Some may not remember ever crossing my path, and none can be blamed for anything here. But I am mindful of their kindness: David Blight, Gabor Borritt, Diane Burke, Orville Burton, Jonathan Earle, Adam Green, Mark Grimsley, Harold Holzer, Michael Musick, and Thomas Schwartz.

  As always, I have been borne up by my friends, whose support took many forms. They gave me quiet havens to work, listened patiently to my droning lectures, bolstered my confidence, covered for my absences as a parent. This book took so long, and there were so many that I can’t name them all, but my thanks to: Henry Allen, Kevin Baker, Beverly and Bucky Brooks, Carl Cannon, Peter Carlson, Doug and Madelyn Dalgleish, Annie Dillard, Gus and Elinor Eisemann, Tom Frail, Michael Grunwald, Lisa and Randy Hendricks, Roscoe Hill, Brad and Colleen Honnold, Tony Horwitz, Steve Jennings, Steve Kraske, Josh and Tess Lewis, Larka and Hatch McCray, Eileen Mackevich, Scott and Cindy Padon, John Pancake, Jason Pottenger, Adam Sachs, Maralee Schwartz, Al Simmons, Peter Slevin, Jim and Christy Somerville, Mit Spears and Kyle Gibson, Carrie and Tom Wagstaff, the Scribblers (Rick Atkinson, David Maraniss, and Rafe Sagalyn), the Von Drehles and the Balls, the guys in the book club, John Goldberg, who caught the cancer, and Dan Holmes, who killed it.

  To Sally Jenkins: “thank you” falls so far short.

  To Karen and the kids: we did it.

  INDEX

  The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.

  abolitionists

  British

  Adams, Charles Francis

  Agriculture Department

  Alabama

  Alabama (Confederate cruiser)

  Albert, Prince Consort of England

  Alexandria, Virginia

  American Colonization Society

  American Red Cross

  Andrew, John

  Antietam, Battle of (Sharpsburg)

  Appalachian mountains

  Appler, Jesse

  Ariel (steamer)

  Arkansas

  Arkansas (Confederate ironclad)

  Arlington (Lee estate)

  arms smuggling

  arms supplies

  Army of the Cumberland

  Army of the Ohio

  Army of the Potomac. See also McClellan, George B.; and specific battles, campaigns, and commanders

  Antietam’s impact on

  corps commanders and

  desertions and

  Emancipation Proclamation and

  failure of, to aid Pope

  failures of, in summer

  McClellan advance toward Richmond and

  McClellan in Maryland with

  mutiny threat and

  Peninsula retreat and

  position of, in 1863

  recruitment and 216

  reorganization of

  Seven Days’ impact on

  size of

  strength of, at Fredericksburg

  troops on leave

  Army of the Tennessee

  Army of Virginia

  reorganized under Halleck and Pope

  Pope pushes south

  Aspinwall, William

  Atlantic Monthly

  Baker, Edward

  Ball’s Bluff, Battle of

  Baltimore American

  Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

  Baltimore riots

  Banks, Nathaniel

  Barlow, Samuel

  Barnard, William

  Barton, Clara

  Bates, Edward

  “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Howe)

  Beauregard, P.G.T.

  Belmont, Battle of

  Benjamin, Judah

  Bennett, James Gordon

  Benton, Thomas Hart

  Berkeley Plantation

  Bierce, Ambrose

  Blair, Francis, Sr.

  Blair, Montgomery

  Blondin (Jean-François Gravelet)

  Bloss, John

  Boonsboro, Maryland

  border states

  Confederate drive into

  Emancipation Proclamation and

  Bragg, Braxton

  Bright, John

  British Liberal Party

  British Parliament

  British Royal Navy

  Brooks, Noah

  Brown, Charles Farrar

  Brown, John

  Browning, Eliza

  Browning, Orville Hickman

  Lincoln’s friendship with

  Seward resignation and

  Supreme Court and

  Buchanan, Franklin

  Buchanan, James

  Buckingham, Catharinus

  Buckner, Simon Bolivar

  Buell, Don Carlos

  fired

  foraging and

  Kentucky and

  Shiloh and

  Bullitt, Cuthbert

  Bull Run. See Manassas

  Bunch, Robert

  Bureau of Ordnance

  Burnside, Ambrose

  fired

  replaces McClellan

  Butler, Benjamin Franklin

  Butler, Picayune

  cabinet

  appointments to

  Emancipation Proclamation and

  McClellan firing and

  Seward resignation crisis and

  Cairo, Illinois

  California

  California, University of, at Berkeley

  Cameron, Simon

  Campbell, Quinton

  Canada

  Cannon, LaGrand

  Carroll, W. C.

  Carter, Robert “King”

  Casey, Silas

  Catton, Bruce

  Chancellorsville, Battle of

  Chandler, Zachariah

  Channing, William Ellery

  Charleston, South Carolina

  Chase, Kate

  Chase, Salmon

  ambitions of

  cabinet discord and

  cotton and

  Emancipation Proclamation and

  McClellan and

  Norfolk campaign and

  paper money and

  Seward resignation crisis and

  Seward rivalry and

  slavery and

  taxes and

  Treasury bonds and

  Union rallies and

  Chattanooga, Tennessee

  Chesapeake Bay

  Chestnut, Mary Boykin

  Chicago Tribune

  Chickahominy River

  Chickasaw Bluffs, Battle of

  Chilton, R. H.

  Chiriqui colony

  Churchill, Winston

  Civil War

  1862 as key year of

  break out of

  Britain and

  casualties and

  Fredericksburg and outcome of

  hard war–soft war debate and

  novice armies and

  outlook for, at beginning of 1863

  prosperity after

  public pessimism and

  Shiloh as turning point in

 
; slavery as cause of

  two separate nations vs.

  Clarksville, Tennessee, ironworks

  Clay, Cassius Marcellus

  Clay, Henry

  Cobden, Richard

  Colchester, Charles J.

  Collamer, Jacob

  colonization

  Columbus, Kentucky (“Gibraltar of the West”)

  Confederate Army. See also specific battles, campaigns, and officers

  border states and

  draft and

  erosion of, by 1863

  hard-war policy and

  Lee takes command of

  Lincoln’s relatives and

  Manassas as stronghold of

  military strategy of

  multiple campaigns vs.

  Shiloh and determination of

  size and strength of

  slavery and

  western supply lines and

  Confederate Army of Northern Virginia

  Confederate Congress

  Confederate States of America

  1862 as key year of

  loyal slave states and

  Europe and

  economic disadvantages of

  fault lines in terrain of

  Taney and

  Confiscation Act, Second (1862)

  Congress (Union gunboat)

  Contraband Relief Association of Washington

  contrabands. See slaves, escaped

  Conway, Moncure

  Cook, John

  Cooke, Philip

  Copperheads

  Corcoran, W. W.

  Corinth, Mississippi

  Battle of

  capture of

  Cornell University

  cotton

  Couch, Darius

  Cox, Samuel

  Crisfield, John

  Cross Keys, Battle of

  Crotzer, Henry W.

  Cumberland River

  Cumberland (Union gunboat)

  Curtin, Andrew

  Curtis, Samuel

  Custis, George Washington Parke

  Dahlgren, John

  Dahlgren, Ulric

  Daily National Republican

  Dana, Richard Henry

  Daniel, Peter

  Davis, David Brion

  Davis, Jefferson

  border states and

  Britain and

  family evacuates Richmond

  Lee and

  McClellan and

  New Orleans and

  railroad and

  Dawes, Henry L.

  Dayton, William

  Delaware

  Deming, Henry

  Democratic Party