August 23, 1864: The Day Abraham Lincoln Won the Civil War

Abraham Lincoln began the morning of August 23, 1864 by despairing of re-election:

"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 (George McClellan, running on the Peace Platform), as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterwards."

The Union was losing as many as 15,000 men killed, crippled, and dead from disease per week. Men up to the age of 45 were being conscripted to fill the gaping holes. Many deserted or surrendered at the first opportunity. Officers who had turned Lee back at Gettysburg last year had been killed or discharged with wounds. Incompetents and drunkards took their places. Grant's army was suffering staggering defeats at battles it would have won in previous years.

Robert E. Lee's Confederate army was not only holding fast in Virginia, but had recently raided the outskirts of Washington, taking Mr. Lincoln under fire. On August 23rd bad news poured in from all fronts. Lincoln's friends warned him he would not be re-elected. George McClellan, a pre-war protege of Jefferson Davis, would be the next president.

During the course of the day, Mr. Lincoln made a series of decisions that swung the balance back in his favor and enabled him to prevail in November's election, thus seeing the war through to Union victory.

This is the story of that day.