Chapter 10
- Dahlgren Raid (Virginia, March 1864)
- Fort Pillow (Tennessee, April 1864)
- POWs (Andersonville, GA, Elmira, NY, elsewhere, 1863-65)
- Overland Campaign (Virginia, May 1864)
- Atlanta Campaign (Georgia, May to September, 1864)
- Wade-Davis Bill (May to August, 1864)
- Battle of the Crater (Virginia, July 1864)
- Blind Memorandum (August 1864)
John Taylor Cuddy
Discussion Question
- How does this film about a unit from Carlisle illustrate several of the points Elizabeth Varon makes in chapter 10 about the evolution of hard war in 1864?
Student projects on John Taylor Cuddy
- Cuddy and his family (Jacob Franciscus)
- Cuddy letters in 1863 (Corinne Plunto)
- Website on John Taylor Cuddy (Maeve Thistle) ***FY Library Research Award***
Lincoln’s Blind Memorandum
Abraham Lincoln was re-nominated for president in June 1864 by the newly organized National Union Party with Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate. Yet on Tuesday, August 23, 1864, Lincoln wrote a secret memorandum that began, “This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected.” He then proceeded to sketch out a plan for cooperation with the next President-Elect in the event of his own defeat. He did not know for sure at that time, but he anticipated that his successful partisan opponent might be General George McClellan, who would in fact be nominated by the Democrats in late August 1864 as their nominee for president.
- Consider a close reading of documents from the 1864 election, such as the blind memorandum, or the political party platforms, or some political cartoons from the 1864 campaign