Alleged Voter Fraud in Election of 1864

Old Bay

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Culpeper, VA
Credit to the Manassas Battlefield facebook page. I wanted to bring this conversation over here.

https://www.facebook.com/manassasbattlefield?hc_location=timeline

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150 years ago today, November 12, 1864, this Thomas Nast illustration appeared in Harper's Weekly. Only 4 days after Lincoln's re-election, the composition told the story of alleged voter fraud that occurred in the ranks of the Union army:

"We give . . . a sketch showing the manner in which the Copperheads . . . signed soldiers' names to votes, filling out the blanks with other names in regular order, all forged ; altered Union votes, so that soldiers giving their suffrages to Mr. Lincoln were made to vote for General McClellan, and affixed to Democratic ballots the names of sick and wounded, and even of dead soldiers. The conspirators admitted that a number of agents were employed in a similar manner, and that soldiers' votes were in this way manufactured by the dry-goods' box full. These statements are sworn to in court by two of those engaged in the fraud, and the exhibition of the documents, consisting of a number of the forged votes, and a large amount of correspondence, leaves no room for doubt as to the nature and extent of the crime which has been committed against our citizens at home, and against our brave soldiers in the field."

Despite these allegations of fraudulent votes for McClellan, the Union army's votes went overwhelmingly to Lincoln.

Do you think the accusations of fraud were based on fact or on partisan conflict?
 
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