History of the United States, Volume 4

"H istory of the United States, Volume 4" by Elisha Benjamin Andrews is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This volume focuses on the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period, exploring the events from 1860 to 1868, and is richly illustrated with maps and images. The book likely discusses significant military campaigns, key figures, and the political repercussions following the war, providing insight into how the conflict shaped the nation. The opening of this volume details the strategic campaigns during the Civil War, particularly in the Mississippi Valley. It outlines the Union's efforts to control key Confederate positions such as Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, highlighting military engagements, the importance of leadership decisions by generals like Ulysses S. Grant, and the dynamics of various battles. The text emphasizes the pivotal moments that influenced Northern victories and the subsequent withdrawal of Confederate forces from key territories, setting the tone for the military tactics and challenges that would define the Civil War.T he presidential election of 1868 was decided at Appomattox. General Grant was borne to the White House on a floodtide of popularity, carrying twenty-six out of the thirty-four voting States. Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, became Vice-President. The Democrats had nominated Horatio Seymour, of New York, and F. P. Blair, of Missouri. Reconstruction was the great issue. The democratic platform demanded universal amnesty and the immediate restoration of all the commonwealths lately in secession, and insisted that the regulation of the franchise should be left with States. The management of the South was the most serious problem before the new administration. The whites were striving by fair means and foul to get political power back into their own hands. The reconstructed state governments, dependent upon black majorities, were too weak for successful resistance. The Ku-Klux and similar organizations were practically a masked army. The President was appealed to for military aid, and he responded. Small detachments of United States troops hurried hither and thither. Wherever they appeared resistance ceased; but when fresh outbreaks elsewhere called the