By Riley Dickson (History 288: Civil War and Reconstruction, Spring 2015) General Winfield Scott, the Commander of the Armies, assured the president on April 14th, 1861 that ““the capital can’t be taken, sir; it can’t be taken.” [1] Scott seemed to believe that a higher power would protect the capital from rebel forces. President Lincoln … Continue reading Lincoln’s April 15, 1861 Presidential Proclamation