CPL. CHARLES LEAMAN (USMC) ON GEN. GEORGE MCCLELLAN'S 1864 PRESIDENTIAL RUN
$500.00
60877-47
Superb content, war-date letter from the archive of Charles Leaman, a Civil War Marine and personal guard of Adm. John Dahlgren, commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Leaman's letters form the backbone of the upcoming book, The Admiral's Guard. A.L.S., 4pp., 8vo., "U.S. Stmr Phila" [Port Royal], Oct. 20, 1864, describing the various opinion on Gen. George McClellan's candidacy against Lincoln in 1864. In part: "...The news from the electin caused quite an excitement among some of the men that are in favor of Little Mac. He seems to have quite a number of friends on board here. It is hard for one to think that a man like McClellan at the head of so large an army as that of the Potomac and for so long a period could have a heart so deceitful as to sell the labors of our armies for the past three years...I would be very sorry to cast a vote for any man that thinks of peace until the south acknowledges there [sp] error by laying down their arms are willing to join with us in the Spirit of '76...the shorest [sp] and most speedy way for the north to obtain peace is for every man to cast his vote for a vigorous prosecution of the war...". McClellan ran against Lincoln as a Democrat and found himself heading a party espousing a peace policy, and lost handily to Lincoln because of it. Minor folds with moderate toning at folds, very good. Civil War letters of American Marines are exceedingly rare!