What was Edwin Stanton's impact on April 1865. please answer this question by using this book called April 1865 by Jay Winik.
Edwin Stanton was undoubtedly an important part of Abraham Lincoln’s War Cabinet and his impact on the armistice of 1865 was substantial. As Secretary of war he exercised considerable influence on the decisions which were being made out in the field of war especially after the considerable victories by General Ulysses Grant in the battles of Atlanta and Vicksburg. Stanton immediately realized that he was in a strong bargaining position and with this attitude, he could wring what he wanted out of the South who were themselves in a rather desperate position without much hope for the future.
Winik argues that Stanton was instrumental in providing the armistice terms which whilst being considerably onerous on the South were rather magnaminous in other perspectives. Actually here he also managed to influence Lincoln who was also in a mood for being benevolent and was also hugely influenced by what was going on regarding the outcome of the political leadership of the South. Being from Ohio, Stanton was also influenced by the massive industrial potential of his home state and this also had considerable effect on how he managed to organize the armies of the North against the rather more gallant Southern armies.
Stanton’s abilities as Secretary of War were quite formidable. In the beginning of the war, the North although grossly more better equipped than the South suffered from incompetent leadership, disorganization on a gross scale, incredible wastage and other negative factors which almost brought it to breaking point at one stage. In fact the early victories of the South through 1862 where Bull Run, Manassas and Fredericksburg come to mind served to imbue a certain mystical prowess about the South’s capability to do war and to be successful in this regard. At least the bloody battle of Antietam reversed the North’s military fortunes somewhat and brought about a situation where everything was much more balanced. The North was also very successful in its naval blockades and battles alongside the Southern coast and this helped serve as a considerable deterrent for those who wished to assist the South in its rebellion.
Stanton was also a grossly disciplined War Secreatry. Winik describes the way in which he continually organized the vast supplies which were sent to the front and how he managed to be much more effective in providing the supplies necessary for survival by the troops. One has to admit that it is surely a daunting task to organize such facilities for hundreds of thousands of men but Stanton was definitely one of the finest secretaries in this regard. He also had a capacity for ruthlessness especially when faced with difficult situations and his support for Grant and Sherman never wavered in the least. This naturally brought him some enemies but he was certainly not perturbed by the situation and continued working hard in this respect. His relationship with Lincoln which was an excellent one also played a major factor in the final armistice of 1865 and one can also say that his organizational capabilities and intrinsic ability to get things done was finally instrumental for the war to end.
The relationship between Stanton and Lincoln is also put into perspective in Winik’s book where Lincoln constantly looked to the former for support on certain crucial issues. Among these one may find the question of slavery which weighed heavily on Lincoln’s mind and which Stnaton urged to resolve eventually. In fact Stanton was also instrumental in encouraging Lincoln to come out with the Emancipation Proclamation which could be seen as one of the most important outcomes of the war and its eventual resolution. In fact even after Lincoln’s assassination, Stanton was constantly arguing with President Andrew Johnson who being a Southerner did not look too kindly on the end of slavery and did his utmost to meddle into situations and create animosity accordingly. Stanton was also extremely belligerent on the issue of collaboration with the South and in fact he issued an order which read as follows:
"arrest and imprison any person or persons who may be engaged, by act, speech or writing, in discouraging volunteer enlistments, or in any way giving aid and comfort to the enemy, or in any other disloyal practice against the United States."
This demonstrates his intrinsic ability to take a hard stance when confronted by situations of this magnitude. There would be no beating about the bush with Stanton, that was something definite.
“He is the rock on the beach of our national ocean against which the breakers dash and roar without ceasing. He fights back the angry waters and prevents them from undermining and overwhelming the land. I do not see how he survives, why he is not crushed and torn to pieces. Without him I should be destroyed”. A finer description of Stanton could not have been made.
Works Cited:
Winink J; April 1965, The Month that Saved America; New York; Harper Perennial 2006, Print
