Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/563

Rh ending the rebellion. The convention merely repeated this old and strong appeal to the mercenary spirit and nominated very appropriately General John C. Fremont as their candidate, who, however, disappointed them at the beginning by dissenting from their confiscation policy, and in finally abandoning the canvass. Very marked opposition had been displayed to Mr. Lincoln’s re-election by many who had been his supporters. Chase, as has been remarked, schemed for the succession. Dissatisfaction existing in New York had led to a public meeting in honor of Grant with an ulterior purpose of projecting his name upon the attention of the Union, which purpose met its defeat in Grant s open declaration for Lincoln. In fact, there was no one who stood so prominently forward as Lincoln, with whose candidacy the party in power had won its first victory, and this became evident even before the convention met.

On the 7th of June, 1864, the delegates to the Republican convention assembled in Baltimore according to the authorized call. The week immediately preceding had been employed in highly exciting military demonstrations, in the midst of which the delegates were assembling to consider the nomination of their party for the Presidency. Sherman was giving battle at New Hope church in Georgia and Grant was making his grand general assault on Lee s lines at Cold Harbor. Both generals received their punishment at the hands of the Confederate armies. Sherman recoiled from Johnston and once more glided around the flank of an army whose front he could not break. Grant made storming assaults until 12,737 of his brave men were put out of line, and the remainder stubbornly but wisely refused to charge again. &quot; Another charge being ordered,&quot; says Swinton, &quot; no man stirred, and the immobile lines pronounced a verdict silent yet emphatic against slaughter. To this date General Grant’s losses for the campaign as stated footed up sixty thousand men.