The upcoming presidential election weighed heavily on Abraham Lincoln’s mind.. On Wednesday, October 19, 1864 to a delegation of Marylanders, Lincoln noted, “I am struggling to maintain government, not to overthrow it. I am struggling to prevent others from overthrowing it.” He directed his remarks at his Democratic opponent, George McClellan, who Lincoln feared would end the war if elected. On the 24th of October Lincoln also told a group of Union soldiers, “While others differ with the Administration, and, perhaps, honestly, the soldiers generally have sustained it; they have not only fought right, but, so far as could be judged from their actions, they have voted right…” He continued to believe that support from the Union army would be the key to his winning re-election in the impending presidential vote.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.