Fellow Sharpshooters

This week marks the 160th anniversary of the hotly contested presidential election between National Union/Republican party candidate, Abraham Lincoln and his Democratic challenger, Maj. General George B. McClellan. To attract ‘War Democrat’ votes for Lincoln, the National Union Party was created: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Democrat

The election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 1864. The biggest voting bloc that worried President Lincoln was the Union armies in the field, that had been bloodied from over three years of War. Despite recent victories in the Shenandoah, Atlanta, Mobile Bay, and Petersburg, what would the soldiers verdict be?

The American Battlefield Trust provides an excellent overview of the events leading up to the election: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/election-1864-and-soldiers-vote

In the Red Book of Michigan; A Civil, Military and Biographical History (Lanman, Charles. E.B. Smith & Company. Detroit; Philip & Solomons. Washington. 1871), gives a detailed account of the legislative and logistical effort to enable Michigan soldiers the opportunity to cast their vote.

Soldiers Vote in the Field:

“ In accordance with an act of the Legislature, approved February 5th, 1864, to enable the qualified electors of this State in the Military service to vote at certain elections, the same were held amongst Michigan troops in service of the United States on the 7th day of November, 1864. They took place under supervision of the commissioners appointed in the following letter of the Executive, and were conducted in compliance with the instructions contained:
“An act to enable qualified electors of the State…are directed immediately to make and file with the Secretary of State the oath of officer required by law, and on or before the 25th day of October instant to report at the office of the Adjutant-General (Brigadier General. John Robertson) in Detroit, where with poll books, blank forms, certificates, and insurance, together with copies of the law, will be furnished them…in performance of their duties they will take the oath of office as a guide, and will do their duty “impartially, fully, and without reference to political preferences or results”.

….”The commissioners are therefore required if necessary, to assist each other, and whenever small bodies of Michigan troops are found with whom no commissioner is present to act as such”

Commissioners assigned to the Army of the Potomac

* M.D Hamilton (of Monroe); 7th infantry, 2nd division-2nd Army Corps, and company B, 2d USSS, in the same division, near Petersburg, Va.

* Edwin C. Hinsdale, (of Detroit); 5th infantry, 3d division-2d army corps, and companies C, I and K 1st USSS, in the same division, near Petersburg, Va.

A total of eleven commissioners were assigned to obtain the votes of Michigan troops in the AoP; ten assigned to the Army on the Cumberland; eight to the Army of the Tennessee; and eleven to the Army of the Gulf.

At this time, Berdan’s Sharp Shooters were in the trenches outside Petersburg, Virginia. The pair of regiments now mustered barely enough men to make up a single company. The largest contingent were Michigan’s companies ‘I’ and ‘K’ , that were mustered into service in March 1862,. There were a few Company C volunteers that had reenlisted, along with the majority of Company B of the 2nd USSS.

Here are the votes cast by the Michigan Sharp Shooters:

2nd USSS (1st Brig/2nd Div/2d AC); Lincoln: 87. McClellan: 20
1st USSS. (2nd Brig/3rd Div/2nd AC); Lincoln: 22. McClellan: 0.

President Lincoln received 55% of the popular vote and 212 versus 21 electoral votes.

I discovered a curious footnote at the end of this section: “the infantry regiments which did not vote were the 10th, 11th, 14th, 14th, and 21st; of the cavalry, the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 9th, and battery G light artillery.

Perhaps, to honor the memory of the Wolverine soldiers who were unable to cast their ballots 160 years ago; Please Vote

Bill Skillman
Michigan Companies
Berdan Sharpshooters Survivors Association





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