THE PRESIDENTS' WAR: SIX AMERICAN PRESIDENTS AND THE CIVIL WAR THAT DIVIDED THEM
By Chris DeRose
Round Table members may wonder: are there any new rays of insight
into the Civil War that have not passed through the prisms of countless
historians? Author Chris DeRose has found
one: the War began with an unprecedented
cadre of five living former presidents
to whom the dividing nation could look for experienced statesmanship. His book, The Presidents’ War: Six American Presidsents and the Civil War that Divided Them is the
account of the roles they played.
Democrat Martin Van Buren of New York had served as president from 1837-1841 and remained a potential candidate and player in politics up to and including the 1860 election. Democrat/Whig/No One Would Claim Him John Tyler of Virginia had succeeded to the presidency on the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841 and served until 1845. Though held in low esteem by his fellow Virginians, they turned to him to him for leadership during the secession crisis. New York Whig Millard Fillmore succeeded Zachary Taylor in 1850 and completed his term until 1853. Though proclaiming himself retired from politics, Fillmore remained a focal point for those who saw in him a figure around whom Americans could rally. Democrat and Mexican War hero Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire had, at his wife’s request, abstained from politics off and on over his life but could not hide from the call to the White House from 1853-1857 or from the whirlwind swirling in the early 1860s. Veteran Pennsylvania Democrat James Buchanan had his reputation molded by his service from 1857-1861 and spent his retirement trying to justify his tenure.
The first third of DeRose’s narrative covers the nullification crisis of the Jackson Era, through the Mexican War and series of compromises which held the Union together during which the former presidents served and matured, concluding with the election of 1860. Amazingly, to me at least, Van Buren, Fillmore, Pierce and Tyler were all suggested as potential presidents in 1860.
Lincoln having been elected, the text delves into the details of the War as background for the continuing actions and statements by the former presidents. The Presidents’ “Club” was as fractured as the country. All opposed Lincoln’s election in 1860 as did the survivors in 1864. In general terms, Van Buren and Fillmore supported the Union but urged more compromise than did Lincoln. Pierce was sympathetic toward the South and generally opposed the Administration’s policies, and Buchanan defended his legacy by claiming that Lincoln largely carried out policies that Buchanan had begun and would have continued had he been in office. Being a leading Virginian, Tyler was involved in early peace initiatives and, when those failed, an active participant in Virginia’s secession.
I read The Presidents’ War in preparation for a book club
meeting. Members enjoyed the book,
especially for the introduction it provides to the former presidents and the
events leading up to the Civil War. The many footnotes and the index are
helpful, and the bibliography provides a guide to future reading.
Round Table members will be familiar with details of the
military events, such as the decision to supply Fort Sumter, the battles of
Vicksburg and Gettysburg. and the Trent Affair.
What they will gain from DeRose’s tome is an understanding of the
rationales of Lincoln and the statements of the former presidents that
contributed to the public dialogue about the incidents.
Drawing on letters, diaries and contemporary newspapers and
utilizing many quotes, DeRose sets the stage with the thirty-year buildup to
War and skillfully weaves military, political and personal tales into a saga
not to be found elsewhere. The
Presidents’ War is an excellent choice for readers seeking a new
political-military approach to our great national conflict.
Available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Presidents-War-American-Civil-Divided/dp/1493009540
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Jim Gallen is a St. Louis, Missouri attorney. He is Chairman of the Military History Club of the Missouri Athletic Club, a member of the St. Louis Civil War Roundtable (https://civilwarstlmo.org/), and member of the Ulysses S. Grant Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
