Documents and Speeches: 1860

The Founding Documents | Ordinances of Secession

The Antebellum Period

January 1 – December 31, 1860

January 1 – December 31, 1861
January 1 – June 30, 1862

July 1 – December 31, 1862

January 1 - June 30, 1863

July 1 - December 31, 1863

January 1 - June 30, 1864

July 1 - December 31, 1864

January 1 - to December 31, 1865

Reconstruction & Post War

• Thomas Wentworth Higginson to Louisa Storrow Higginson, January 1860
• Thomas Bayne to William Still, January 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 1, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 1, 1860
• William B. Rogers to Henry D. Rogers, January 2, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 4, 1860
• Pierre-Gustave Toutant Beauregard to William T. Sherman, January 4, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, January 4, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 5, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 6, 1860
• Cadet Emory Upton to Maria E. Upton, January 6, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 7, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 7, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing, January 8, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 9, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 9, 1860
• Gov. John Letcher to Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood, January 10, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 10, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 11, 1860
• From the Louisiana Democrat, January 11, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 11, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, January 12, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, Friday Night, Jan. 13, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, Saturday Evening, January 14, 1860
• George Mason Graham to William T. Sherman, January 15, 1860 — 1:50 p.m.
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 17, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, January 19, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 19, 1860
• Gov. Salmon P. Chase to Sen. Charles Sumner, January 20, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 20, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 20, 1860
• Maj. Thomas J. Jackston to Mrs. Clementine Neale, January 21, 1860
• George Mason Graham to S. A. Smith, January 21, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Mary E. “Minnie” Sherman, January 22, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 22, 1860
• Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood to Gov. John Letcher, Januery 23, 1860
• Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood to Gov. John Letcher, Januery 24, 1860
• Congressman Israel Wasburn Jr. to James S. Pike, January 24, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, January 24, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 24, 1860
• Diary of George Templeton Strong: January 25, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 29, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing, January 29, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing, January 29, 1860
• Speech of Sen. James W. Grimes, January 30, 1860
• Congressman Israel Wasburn Jr. to James S. Pike, January 31, 1860
• William T. Sherman to John Sherman, January & February, 1860
• Zaccheus Beatty to Abraham Lincoln, February 3, 1860
• Mark W. Delahay to Abraham Lincoln, February 6, 1860
• Fitz Henry Warren to James S. Pike, February 6, 1860
• Samuel J. Tilden to Noah H. Swayne, February 6, 1860
• John L. Motley to Anna Lothrop Motley, February 9, 1860
• George Mason Graham to Governor Thomas O. Moore, February 9, 1860
• Benjamin Stanton to James S. Pike, February 11, 1860
• Charles D. Miller to Watts Sherman, February 13, 1860
• Gov. Salmon P. Chase to Sen. Charles Sumner, February 14, 1861
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, February 17, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, February 17, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing Jr., February 17, 1860
• Royal Phelps to Charles D. Miller, February 18, 1860
• Fitz Henry Warren to James S. Pike, February 20, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, February 21, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, February 21, 1860
• Gov. Thomas O. Moore to George Mason Graham, February 21, 1860
• Samuel L. M. Barlow to Charles D. Miller, February 22, 1860
• Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, February 23, 1860
• Fitz Henry Warren to James S. Pike, February 23, 1860
• Fitz Henry Warren to James S. Pike, February 25, 1860
• Hawkins Taylor to Abraham Lincoln, February 25, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, February 26, 1860
• Charles D. Miller to Samuel L. M. Barlow, February 26, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln's Cooper Union Address, February 27, 1860
• George L. Stearns to Samuel Gridley Howe, February 27, 1860
• Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood to the Senate of Iowa, February 28, 1860
• William T. Sherman to the Board of Supervisors Seminary of Learning, March 1, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 1, 1860
• Sen. Charles Sumner to George L. Stearns, March 2, 1860
• Charles A. Dana to James S. Pike, March 3, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, March 4, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, March 4, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 5, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, March 5, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 6, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 7, 1860
• Charles A. Dana to James S. Pike, March 8, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, March 8, 1860
• Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Susan Higginson Channing, March 10, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 15, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Mark W. Delahay, March 16, 1860
• Sen. Charles Sumner to George L. Stearns, March 16, 1860
• Gov. Salmon P. Chase to James S. Pike, March 19, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 21, 1860
• George L. Stearns to Sen. Charles Sumner, March 22, 1860
• Thomas Wentworth Higginson, March 22 1860
• Carson D. Hay to Abraham Lincoln, March 27, 1860
• John Lothrop Motley to Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, March 29, 1860
• Charles A. Dana to James S. Pike, March 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, March 30, 1860
• Victor Hugo, March 30, 1860
• Resolutions of the Faculty of Louisiana State Seminary, April 1860
• Gov. Salmon P. Chase to James S. Pike, April 2, 1860
• Gov. Thomas O. Moore to William T. Sherman, April 4, 1860
• Marcus Spring to Mary Ann Day Brown, April 6, 1860
• Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, April 7, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 12, 1860
• George William Curtis to John J. Pinkerton, April 13, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, April 15, 1860
• Count Adam Gurowski to James S. Pike, April 16, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 17, 1860
• William T. Sherman: Circular to Police Juries, April 17, 1860
• Gov. Thomas O. Moore to George Mason Graham, April 19, 1860
• Benjamin Butler to Sarah Hildreth Butler, April 20, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 21, 1860
• Sen. William H. Seward, April 25, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 26, 1860
• Count Adam Gurowski, to James S. Pike, April 26, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Lyman Trumbull, April 29, 1860
• Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. to John L. Motley, April 29, 1860
• George L. Stearns to Mary Hall Stearns, May 1, 1860
• William T. Sherman to John Sherman, May 8, 1860
• George L. Stearns to Mary Hall Stearns, May 8, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing Jr., May 11, 1860
• Count Adam Gurowski, to James S. Pike, May 12, 1860
• Mark W. Delahay to Abraham Lincoln, May 13, 1860
• James G. Blaine to Sen. William P. Fessenden, May 16, 1860
• Sen. William P. Fessenden to his Family, May 17, 1860
• William B. Rogers to Henry D. Rogers, May 17, 1860
• George L. Stearns to Mary Hall Stearns, May 17, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to the Committee Notifying Him of His Nomination to the Presidency, May 18, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, May 21, 1860
• May 22, 1860 Wedding of George B. McClellan and Mary Ellen Marcy.
• Abraham Lincoln to George Ashmun, May 23, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, May 23, 1860
• Charles Russell Lowell to George Putnam, May 24, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, May 25, 1860
• George Mason Graham to Gov. Thomas O. Moore, May 26, 1860
• William Barton Rogers to Henry Darwin Rogers, May 29, 1860
• John Tyler to Col. John S. Cunningham, May 30, 1860
• Salmon P. Chase to Joseph H. Bannett, May 30, 1860
• Hannibal Hamlin to George Ashmun, May 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to John Sherman, June 1860
• Lieu.-Col.Robert E. Lee, June 2, 1860
• Charles Eliot Norton to James Russell Lowell, June 3, 1860
• Senator James W. Grimes to Elizabeth S. Nealley Grimes, June 4, 1860
• Andrew Johnson, June 5, 1860
• Victor Hugo, June 8, 1860
• Salmon P. Chase to Sen. Charles Sumner, June 11, 1860
• James Buchanan to Robert Tyler, June 13, 1860
• Braxton Bragg to William T. Sherman, June 14, 1860
• William T. Sherman: Circular of June 15, 1860
• Sherman’s Instructions to State Cadets, June 15, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, June 16, 1860
• Judge Martin F. Conway to George L. Stearns, June 17, 1860
• John M. Forbes to Nassau William Senior, June 18, 1860
• Braxton Bragg to George Mason Graham, June 27, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, June 28, 1860
• Vice President John C. Breckinridge to Daniel S. Dickinson, June 29, 1860
• Charles Russell Lowell to Anna Cabot Jackson Lowell, June 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, July 4, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, July 6, 1860
• Advertisement In The Red River American, Alexandria, La., July 7, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, July 10, 1860
• Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, July 10, 1860
• Alexander Stephens to J. Henly Smith, July 10, 1860
• David Wilmot to Abraham Lincoln, July 11, 1860
• Count Adam Gurowski to James S. Pike, July 13, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, July 16, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, July 22, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Thomas Ewing Jr., July 22, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, July 23, 1860
• Thomas Wentworth Higginson, August 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, August 2, 1860
• David Davis to Abraham Lincoln, August 5, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, August 5, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, August 12, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, August 13, 1860
• Horace Greeley to James S. Pike, August 13, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, August 14, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, August 19, 1860
• Salmon P. Chase to John Denison Baldwin, August 20, 1860
• Salmon P. Chase to George G. Fogg, August 20, 1860
• John Tyler to Henry S. Foote, August 26, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, August 27, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, August 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, August 30, 1860
• Memorandum By G. Mason Graham, [Summer of 1860]
• David F. Boyd to William T. Sherman, August 30, 1860
• Count Adam Gurowski to James S. Pike, August 31, 1860
• George Mason Graham: State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, September 1, 1860
• Sen. William P. Fessenden to James S. Pike, September 2, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, September 7, 1860
• Francis W. Smith to David F. Boyd, September 9, 1860
• Sen. William P. Fessenden to James S. Pike, September 12, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, September 14, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, September 16, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, September 20, 1860
• William Barton Rogers to Henry Darwin Rogers, September 24, 1860
• William Barton Rogers to Henry Darwin Rogers, September 25, 1860
• Major Thomas J. Jackson To Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, September 25, 1860
• David F. Boyd to William T. Sherman, September 27, 1860
• Major Thomas J. Jackson To Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, September 28, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, September 30, 1860
• Thomas Wentworth Higginson, October 1860
• Advertisement Of The Seminary In The Louisiana Democrat, October, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, October 3, 1860
• Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler to Blanche Butler, October 8, 1860
• George William Curtis to Charles Eliot Norton, October 14, 1860
• Grace Bedell to Abraham Lincoln, October 15, 1860
• William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, October 15, 1860
• Ham & Eggs to William Still, October 17, 1860
• From a Slave secreted in Richmond, Va. to William Still, October 18, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Grace Bedell, October 19, 1860
• Major David Hunter to Abraham Lincoln, October 20, 1860
• Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler to Blanche Butler, October 22, 1860
• Braxton Bragg to William T. Sherman, October 25, 1860
• John Albert Broadus to Miss Cornelia Taliaferro, October 25, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Major David Hunter, October 26, 1860
• John Tyler to Col. David L. Gardiner, October 27, 1860
• Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, October 27, 1860
• William Barton Rogers to Henry Darwin Rogers, October 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, November 3, 1860
• William T. Sherman to E. Berté St. Ange, November 4, 1860
• George N. Eckert to Abraham Lincoln, November 5, 1860
• James E. Harvey to Abraham Lincoln, November 5, 1860
• James L. Petigru to Jane Petigru North, November 5, 1860
• Richard Hackley to John A. Broadus, November 5, 1860
• George Mason Graham to William T. Sherman, November 5, 1860
• Diary of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, November 7, 1860
• Dairy of Mary Boykin Chesnut, November 8, 1860
• John Tyler to Robert Tyler, November 10, 1860
• Sen. Jefferson Davis to Robert Barnwell Rhett, Jr., November 10, 1860
• William Cullen Bryant to Abraham Lincoln, November 10, 1860
• James L. Petigru to Susan Petigru King, November 10, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, November 10, 1860
• Dr. Restore C. Carter to Abraham Lincoln, November 12, 1860
• Frederick C. Humphreys to Col. Henry K. Craig, November 12, 1860
• James L. Petigru to Jane Petigru North, November 13, 1860
• Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood to Abraham Lincoln, November 15, 1860
• Major John Sedgwick to his Sister, November 17, 1860
• James Pollock to Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1860
• John Lothrop Motley to Anna Lothrop Motley, November 19, 1860
• Diary of Henry Greville: November 19, 1860
• James Louis Petigru to Mrs. Jane Petigru North, November 20, 1860
• Salmon P. Chase to John Greenleaf Whittier, November 23, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, November 23, 1860
• Gov. Joseph E. Brown to John B. Floyd, November 24, 1860
• Charles Russell Lowell to John N. Dennison, November 25, 1860
• Pete Muggins to Abraham Lincoln, November 25, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, November 26, 1860
• William Henry Trescot to Gov. William H. Gist, November 26, 1860
• Joseph Casey to Leonard Swett, November 27, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, November 29, 1860
• Gov. William H. Gist to William Henry Trescot, November 29, 1860
• Gov. William H. Gist to William Henry Trescot, November 29, 1860
• Jonathan Worth to Joseph John Jackson, November 29, 1860
• Leonard Swett to Abraham Lincoln, November 30, 1860
• Maj. John Sedgwick to his Sister, November 30, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Sen. John Sherman, December 1, 1860
• James Buchanan's Fourth Annual Message, December 3, 1860
• Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, December 3, 1860
• Sen. James W. Grimes to Elizabeth S. Nealley Grimes, December 5, 1860
• Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Catherine Sedgwick Minot, December 5, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to William H. Seward, December 8, 1860
• Howell Cobb to James Buchanan, December 8, 1860
• Horace Bushnell, December 8, 1860
• John McQueen et al to James Buchanan, December 9, 1860
• Sen. John Sherman to William T. Sherman, December 9, 1860
• Commissioners of the State of South Carolina to James Buchanan, December 9, 1860
• Maj. John Sedgwick to his Sister, December 10, 1860
• James Buchanan to Howell Cobb, December 10, 1860
• Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut, December 10, 1860
• The Botetourt Resolutions, December 10, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Robert N. Gourdin, December 11, 1860
• Memorandum of Verbal Instructions to Maj. Anderson, First Artillery, Commanding Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, December 11, 1860
• Charles Eliot Norton to Arthur H. Clough, December 11, 1860
• Lewis Cass to James Buchanan, December 12, 1860
• John Tyler to Caleb Cushing, December 14, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson, December 14, 1860
• James Buchanan to Lewis Cass, December 15, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Minnie Sherman, December 15, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, December 15, 1860
• Senator James W. Grimes to Elizabeth S. Nealley Grimes, December 16, 1860
• Fitz Henry Warren to James S. Pike, December 16, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Col. Samuel Cooper, December 16, 1860 - 8 p.m.
• Memorandum of James Buchanan, December 17, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens to James Buchanan, December 17, 1860
• Charles Eliot Norton to Georg W. Curtis, December 17, 1860
• The Crittenden Compromise, December 18, 1860
• James Buchanan to Gov. Francis W. Pickens, December 18, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, December 18, 1860
• John B. Floyd to Gov. Joseph E. Brown, December 18, 1860
• Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, December 19, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson, December 19, 1860
• George William Curtis to Charles Eliot Norton, December 19, 1860
• Rev. Dr. J. Leighton Wislon to Rev. Dr. Charles Hodge, December 19, 1860
• Capt. James Montogmery to George L. Stearns, December 20, 1860
• South Carolina Secession Ordinance, December 20, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens to William H. Trescot, December 20, 1860
• John B. Floyd to Maj. Robert Anderson, December 21
• William H. Trescot to Gov. Francis W. Pickens, December 21, 1860
• Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut, December 21, 1860
• Sen. William P. Fessenden to William Willis, December 22, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Col. Samuel Cooper, December 22, 1860
• Capt. John G. Foster to Col. Rene De Russy, December 22, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens to William H. Trescot, December 22, 1860
• Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, December 23, 1860
• William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, December 23, 1860
• George Luther Stearns to Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, December 23, 1860
• Declaration Of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession Of South Carolina From the Federal Union, December 24, 1860
• The Address of the People Of South Carolina, Assembled in Convention, To the People of the Slaveholder States of The United States, December 24, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Hannibal Hamlin, December 24, 1860
• George L. Stearns to William L. Robinson, December 24, 1860
• Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, December 25, 1860
• William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, December 25, 1860
• William Cullen Bryant to Abraham Lincoln, December 25, 1860
• Edwin M. Stanton to W. B. Copeland, December 26, 1860
• Braxton Bragg to William T. Sherman, December 26, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens to Col. James J. Pettigrew, December 27, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Robert N. Gourdin, December 27, 1860
• Francis Lieber to G. S. Hillard, December 27, 1860
• John B. Floyd to James Buchanan, December 27, 1860
• John B. Floyd to Maj. Robert Anderson, December 27, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to John B. Floyd, December 27, 1860
• Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut, December 27, 1860
• Charles Russell Lowell to Henry Lee Higginson, December28, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens to David F. Jamison, December 28, 1860
• Robert Lewis Dabney to Elizabeth Price Dabney, December 28, 1860
• Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, December 29, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to William Cullen Bryant, December 29, 1860
• John B. Floyd to James Buchanan, December 29, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Robert N. Gourdin, December 29 1860
• Senator William P. Fessenden, December 29, 1860
• James Buchanan to the Commissioners of the State of South Carolina, December 30, 1860
• Edwin M. Stanton to Gen. William Robinson, December 30, 1860
• John B. Floyd to James Buchanan, December 30, 1860
• Maj. Robert Anderson to Rev. Richard B. Duane, December 30, 1860
• Gov. Francis W. Pickens, December 30, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Simon Cameron, December 31, 1860
• Abraham Lincoln to Simon Cameron, December 31, 1860
• James Buchanan to John B. Floyd, December 31, 1860
• James Russell Lowell to Charles Nordhoff, December 31, 1860
• James Henley Thornwell to the Rev. Mr. Douglas, December 31, 1860