WAR WEARINESS IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH

In both the North and the South the pressures of a long war were obvious by 1864. To many in the South, it was clear that the Confederacy would be defeated. Severe food and material shortages continued. In the North, the presidential campaign of 1864 produced little excitement. Lincoln’s Democratic opponent was General George McClellan. In early September of 1864 Lincoln confided to friends that he thought he would lose the presidency. However, word arrived that General Sherman had taken the key Confederate city of Atlanta. That, along with any real enthusiasm for (and by) McClellan, allowed Lincoln to easily win reelection.