OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Secretary of State William H. Seward meets with an intermediary to Confederate envoys and submits an extraordinary memo to President Abraham Lincoln offering to head the administration behind the scenes.
Tag: Abraham Lincoln
When the King Commands All Things Are Possible
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln overrides General Winfield Scott’s recommendation by ordering the reinforcement of Fort Pickens at Pensacola, Florida. Lincoln sees this as essential to maintaining a Federal presence in the South.
Provisions Are Very Nearly Exhausted
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln consults his cabinet regarding the fate of Forts Sumter and Pickens. With his ministers still divided as to what should be done, Lincoln comes to a fateful decision.
Rendering Adherence to This Union Perpetual
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: General Winfield Scott writes a shocking letter to President Abraham Lincoln recommending the abandonment of not only Fort Sumter but Fort Pickens as well.
Fort Sumter: Evacuation or Reinforcement
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln convenes his cabinet to discuss what to do about Fort Sumter amidst differing opinions. Lincoln weighs the costs of abandonment versus holding the fort, and then decides to send someone there to assess the garrison’s condition.
Hostilities Imminent and Inevitable
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Many of Abraham Lincoln’s advisors recommend abandoning Fort Sumter, but Lincoln considers a different course of action.