How we elected Lincoln

In Short

This memoir offers a vivid, on-the-ground perspective of the 1860 and 1864 presidential campaigns. Written by a young Republican activist who later served as a presidential elector, the book moves from the raw, grassroots intensity of the early anti-slavery movement to the somber, high-stakes reelection effort during the height of the war. It provides an intimate look at Abraham Lincoln’s character, his fraught relationships with rival party leaders like Horace Greeley, and the eventual triumph of a movement that transformed the nation by eradicating slavery.

The Story

The narrative begins in New York City, a place the author describes as a commercial "annex" of the South, where he faced significant social and professional ostracism for his early commitment to the fledgling Republican Party. He captures the electric atmosphere of the mid-1850s, describing the birth of the party and the fervent, almost musical idealism of the "Free Soil" movement. The story flows into the pivotal 1860 election, detailing the intense rivalry between William H. Seward and Abraham Lincoln. The author depicts the Republican National Convention as a high-stakes arena where political giants and "wire-pullers" grappled for dominance, ultimately favoring the Illinois "rail-splitter" over the better-known Seward.

As Lincoln rises to the presidency, the book transitions from political strategy to the heavy, personal burden of leadership. The author recounts the tense journey to Washington, during which Lincoln initially hoped the Southern crisis was an "artificial" misunderstanding, only to face the brutal reality of a nation splitting apart. The middle chapters shift focus to the human side of the White House, featuring anecdotes of Lincoln’s legendary mercy toward soldiers and his weary, self-deprecating humor in the face of relentless criticism.

The final arc of the memoir focuses on the 1864 campaign, a period of profound uncertainty. The author describes a political climate where Lincoln was besieged not only by Democrats but by internal party rivals like Salmon P. Chase, who viewed the President as intellectually inferior. The reader sees Lincoln oscillating between bouts of deep despondency and a steady, quiet resolve to see the war through. The author describes the "acrimonious" tone of the era, where campaign speeches were hurled from cart-tails and street corners with fiery intensity. The story concludes with Lincoln’s unanimous renomination and victory, reflecting on how the abolition of slavery was achieved through a mix of strategic pragmatism and unyielding moral conviction. The narrative ends on a note of deep reverence, mourning the assassination that derailed Lincoln’s plans for a peaceful restoration of the Union and acknowledging his enduring, global legacy.

How It Unfolds

The conversion of a Southerner The author explains his transition from a youth in a pro-slavery environment to an early Republican, detailing the social costs of opposing the Southern-aligned merchant class in New York.

The rise of the rail-splitter The book captures the momentum of the 1860 convention, where intense debates and the influence of figures like Horace Greeley ultimately turned the tide toward Lincoln.

A nation in crisis Lincoln’s journey toward the capital is described as a period of naive optimism regarding the Southern threat, followed by the sobering discovery of the war's true scale.

The burden of command Anecdotes are woven throughout to show Lincoln’s daily struggles, from his efforts to assist individual soldiers to his exhaustion under the pressure of military disasters like Fredericksburg.

The internal war The narrative highlights the bitter 1864 political landscape, focusing on the secret machinations of Salmon P. Chase and the reluctant support of critics like Greeley.

The final mandate The book concludes with the overwhelming victory of 1864, the author’s own experience as an elector, and a final meditation on Lincoln’s role as the man who eradicated the curse of slavery.

The People

Abraham Lincoln emerges as the central, steadying force—an "awkward Illinoisan" who possesses a hidden, scriptural depth and a magnanimous heart, constantly frustrating his critics with his refusal to be anything but himself. Horace Greeley appears as a complex, often begrudging figure; he is instrumental in Lincoln’s rise yet remains "in the sulks" for years, unable to fully embrace the President until necessity forces his hand. Salmon P. Chase is portrayed as the quintessential internal rival, a man of intellect who hides his own presidential ambitions behind a mask of friendship while privately pitying Lincoln’s abilities. Thurlow Weed serves as the seasoned political master whose loyalty to Seward eventually transforms into vital support for Lincoln’s administration. These figures move within a world of "Copperheads," war-contractors, and idealistic young men like the author, all driven by conflicting visions of a nation being forged in fire.

In Its Own Voice

“Wrong as we think slavery, we can afford to let it alone where it is, because that much is due to the necessity arising from its actual presence in the nation; but can we, while our votes will prevent, allow it to spread in the national Territories and to overrun us here in these free States?”

Lincoln articulates the measured, firm position that defined his early platform against the expansion of slavery.

“I suppose Judge ----, having been disappointed, did behave badly, but I have scriptural reasons for appointing him. When Moses was on Mount Sinai, getting a commission for Aaron, that same Aaron was at the foot of the mountain making a false god for the people to worship. Yet Aaron got the commission.”

Lincoln explains his rationale for appointing a political critic, using a blend of humor and biblical allusion.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book is an exploration of political pragmatism in the service of moral transformation. It challenges the reader to consider how a leader preserves a nation while surrounded by "professional heroes" and "commercial grafters" who seek profit in the war’s carnage. The book questions the necessity of compromise in a democracy: how does a leader maintain the support of abolitionists and Free-Soilers while keeping a fractured party intact? It argues that Lincoln’s greatness lay in his ability to act as a "humble President" who understood that the survival of the Union was a prerequisite for the survival of human freedom, ultimately positioning his actions as the necessary, painful labor of completing the work the Founding Fathers left unfinished.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the mechanics of 19th-century political life will find this book a treasure. It captures the visceral reality of a time when politics were conducted in the streets, through torchlight parades and open-air debates, rather than through modern media. You will feel the genuine, dusty heat of the campaign trail and the stifling, smoky tension of the White House anterooms. It is a warm, anecdotal account that leans heavily on the author’s personal devotion to Lincoln, making it less of a detached scholarly history and more of a lived, emotional experience.

Be prepared for the period-specific language and the intense, often bitter partisan rhetoric that characterized the era. The author does not shy away from the harshness of the "Copperhead" dissent or the raw, unvarnished anger of the abolitionist factions. While some parts of the narrative may feel slow to those looking for a modern-paced biography, the weight of the author’s memories provides a rare, grounded view of a man who, in his own time, was not always seen as the giant we remember today. If you want to understand how a leader carries the weight of a nation’s conscience while fighting for his political life, this book provides an essential, human-scaled vantage point.