Booknotes: William Henry Seward's Quest to Save the Nation During the Secession Winter

New Arrival:

• William Henry Seward's Quest to Save the Nation During the Secession Winter (November 1860-April 1861) by C. Evan Stewart (Twelve Tables Pr, 2026).

Sorely disappointed at being passed over as the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 1860 in favor of compromise candidate Abraham Lincoln, it quickly became apparent that New York Senator and incoming Secretary of State William Henry Seward operated under the assumption that he would be the power behind the throne in the new administration. He has been criticized heavily by writers and historians for going behind Lincoln's back during the Fort Sumter crisis and conducting unauthorized negotiations with Confederate authorities, his conciliatory approach including promises to evacuate the fort (which he correctly deemed indefensible) and weirdly raising the prospect of drumming up a foreign war to unite both sections of the country in a common cause.

From what I can gather after perusal of the Preface and promotional blurbs, C. Evan Stewart's William Henry Seward's Quest to Save the Nation During the Secession Winter offers a more sympathetic picture of Seward's character and actions during the tumultuous months preceding the Confederate bombardment of Sumter: "Seward’s prodigious efforts have either been ignored, given short shrift, or looked upon as something less than honorable. This short book – based upon original archival research and a comprehensive review of secondary sources – tells the story of Seward’s efforts. Counter-factual history is always an iffy business. But Seward’s “plan” did help to keep the Upper South States in the Union during the months before the president-elect became the president. And had his counsel been followed after March 4th, perhaps the course of American History would have played out very differently." In sum, Stewart's book "will attempt to provide a complete explication of Seward's plan and his prodigious efforts to save the Union..." (pg. xi)