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Abraham Lincoln and the Bleakest Day in American History

The bleakest day in American History may have been April 15, 1861. On this day
President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation that was penned in direct response to the attack
on and surrender of Fort Sumter. Although the Presidential Proclamation of April 15th, 1861 is
not considered one of the most revered or well written of Lincolns writings, it is very important
to study. This document expresses Lincolns willingness to put aside his personal ideology to do
what he considered essential to preserve the Union. In this case, preserving the Union meant
seeking the council of various advisers, risking betrayal from Secretary of State William H.
Seward, and eventually raising a military force to end the Confederate rebellion. This
proclamation showcases the Presidents ability to put aside his own self-interest and ego to
accomplish what he deemed necessary to preserve the Union.
Prior to the assault on Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln had made an ardent effort to
prevent an action like this from occurring. According to Historian James M. McPherson,
Lincoln sought the council of Secretary of State William H Seward about how to deal with the
dilemma of Major Anderson at Fort Sumter. Major Anderson was in need of an evacuation or
reinforcements and Secretary Seward advised an evacuation. This advice coincided with that of
his trusted confident, General Winfield Scott who also advised President Lincoln to withdraw
from Fort Sumter. Leading up to the attack on Fort Sumter, the President also sought advice
from other cabinet members including the Post Master General Montgomery Blair who outright
called for a reinforcement of Major Anderson at Fort Sumter. (McPherson) The Secretary of the
Interior Caleb B. Smith advised the President that if the evacuation of Fort Sumter could be
made while reinforcing other Union held forts then they could make the situation a positive, but
if not, then it would be a disaster for the cause. (Abraham Lincoln Papers)

Once President Lincoln had decided to send reinforcement to Fort Sumter, unbeknownst
to him, Seward was working behind his back to thwart his efforts. Seward countermanded
Lincolns order by forging an order of his own in the name of the Secretary of War and the
President of the United States to send the relief and reinforcements to Fort Pickens instead of
Fort Sumter. When Lincoln found out, he alone accepted the blame and actually defended
Seward. Seward also wrote to Lincoln in an attempt to usurp executive power to have more
control over the secessionist states as well as Fort Sumter. (McPherson) Once again Lincoln
handled the incident with dignity and grace instead of passion and emotion. The letters,
memorandums, notes, and cabinet meetings clearly illuminate President Lincolns resolve to
make the right decision concerning the prevention of a full blown crisis at Fort Sumter.
Prior to his 1860 election to the presidency, as the Republican nominee, he made
mention on many occasions, publicly and privately, that his intention was not to dismantle
slavery. He also explained to the Republicans, Whigs, and Democrats, that if elected he would
not allow the widespread conversation of secession to actually come to fruition. (Harris) Talk of
secession had been an issue for well over a decade and the most recent resolution had been the
Compromise of 1850, written by Henry Clay. This document restructured the entry of new states
and territories, established a means for determining slave and free areas, and established a border
between Texas and New Mexico. (Clay) Despite the compromise secessionist rumblings
continued and Lincolns election remained a contingent point and focus of secessionists.
Abraham Lincoln spent the time between his election in November 1860 and his
inauguration in March 1861 trying to maintain the unity of the Republican Party while working
with the Whigs and Democrats to preserve the Union. He never accepted the states right to
secession and worked tirelessly to keep relations with southern Unionists. Despite his best

efforts during this period of time, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union
on December 20, 1860. Less than a week later, Union Major Robert Anderson moved his unit
from Fort Moultrie, near Charleston Harbor, to Fort Sumter located in the Harbor. This move
turned the heads of many and a month after the Presidents inauguration their presence in Fort
Sumter was seen as an enemy invader in their territory. Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard
began communication with Major Anderson demanding a surrender which was initially denied.
This resulted in the Confederate artillery firing upon the Fort for one and a half days. Eventually
the Fort was surrendered by the Union to the Confederacy on April 14, 1861. (Fort Sumter)
President Abraham Lincoln began his introduction of the Presidential Proclamation of
April 15, 1861 by addressing the issue at hand, the seceded states which were acting in open
hostility toward the Union fort. The President initially addressed South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas as states, still considering them a part of the
Union, which had acted in a manner that surpassed the means of law. He stated in his official
capacity as President of the United States, acting on the advice of his Executive Cabinet, and
using his interpretation of the Constitution of the United States that the mustering of a militia of
seventy-five thousand men was required in order to suppress the actions of the afore mentioned
states and to compel them to follow the laws of the Constitution.
President Lincoln was using this proclamation in an attempt to spur recruitment and raise
an army in a short amount of time to retake Fort Sumter, and also to defend Washington D.C. It
is now known that he was successful in increasing recruitment in the Northern States, with
recruitment station lines forming immediately. However, in the Border States the inspiration to
enlist was not as well received.

Next, President Lincoln gave instruction to the states and the citizens, as well as outlined
his intentions. He stated that the military force being raised was to initially recapture and
reclaim the forts, places, and property which have been seized from the Union. (Lincoln) He
informed the people that the intention of the force being called up was not to harm the lawful
citizens. However, he directly asserted his authority by commanding the unlawful citizens to put
down their weapons, end their aggression, and to peaceably return home within twenty days. It
seems that Lincolns tone when appealing to the lawful citizens was less of an appeal and more
of a reprimand to the unlawful citizens. In the same portion of the text, in reference to the
assault on Fort Sumter, it suggests that this army is not simply for retaking a fort, but for much
more, I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate, and aid this effort to maintain the honor,
the integrity, and existence of our national Union, and the perpetuity of popular government, and
to redress wrongs already long enough endured. (Lincoln) He would fight to restore the Union
at all costs.
It is clear that President Lincoln was conflicted about the idea of war when he stated the
purpose of the called force will probably be to repossess the forts, places, and property.
(Lincoln) Although he is making a direct statement to the secessionists that further bloodshed
was in the future, and the fact that he had spent time in the militia as a private and as a captain, it
does not seem to send a strong message of military action. The use of the word probably most
likely expresses his hesitation and personal resistance to declaring war against his own
countrymen.
The Presidents proclamation goes on to addresses the Congress. He called the elected
officials, including Senators and Representatives, to a special session at noon on July the 4th. The
purpose Lincoln stated for the session is to consider and determine such measures as, in their

wisdom, the public safety and interest may seem to demand. (Lincoln) The message is clear that
the chosen date of July the 4th was harking back to the signing of the Declaration of
Independence. A nostalgic reference to a unified country.
An unexpected outcome of the proclamation was that Virginia seceded just two days
later, on April 17, 1861. Virginias secession had unintended consequences when considering the
fact that President Lincoln had requested Robert E. Lee to command the Union forces that had
been mustered through the proclamation only to be denied by Lee due to his loyalty to Virginia.
President Lincolns goal was to squash the rebellion, not further the divide.
President Abraham Lincoln was clearly a man of conviction, he tried to exhaust all means
of restoring the Union available, prior to loss of Fort Sumter, short of physical force. He
attempted the use of the Congress, politics, interpersonal relationships, and other forms of
political negotiations. Despite his best efforts and his individual morals and beliefs, he chose to
write this proclamation. This proclamation may have led to the bleakest day in American
History because it was the day that the Commander in Chief chose to raise an Army of
Americans to fight against an Army of Americans.

Works Cited
"Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress." Library of Congress. N.p., n.d. Web. 28
July 2016. <http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/abrahamlincoln-papers/history5.html#skip_menu>.
Clay, Henry. "Primary Documents in American History." Compromise of 1850: Primary
Documents of American History. Library of Congress, 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 06 July 2016.
"Dates of Secession." American Civil War. University of Georgia, 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 July
2016.
"Fort Sumter." Civil War Trust. Council on Foreign Relations, 2014. Web. 06 July 2016.
Harris, William C. "Abraham Lincoln and Secession." Abraham Lincoln's Classroom. University
of Kansas, 2007. Web. 06 July 2016.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln, Presidential Proclamation, April 15, 1861, Washington,
DC." House Divided. Dickinson University, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 July 2016.
"Lincoln Provoked the War." Lincoln Provoked the War. Tulane University, n.d. Web. 06 July
2016.
McPherson, James M. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. New York:
Penguin, 2008. Print.
"Topics in Chronicling America - Battle of Fort Sumter." Battle of Fort Sumter. N.p., 7 Aug.
2014. Web. 03 July 2016.

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