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Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814 – December 24, 1869), was an American lawyer, politician, United States Attorney General in 1860-61 and Secretary of War through most of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.
Stanton vigorously pursued those responsible for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, overseeing the imprisonment, trials, and executions of the accused. He was the center of conflict with Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson. Johnson's attempts to remove Stanton resulted in his becoming the first US President to be impeached. Stanton left the Secretary of War position shortly after. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Johnson's successor Ulysses S. Grant, but died before taking the oath of office.
Edwin M. Stanton in The Guns of the South[]
Edwin M. Stanton was unable to adapt the US military to the Confederate use of AK-47s. After disastrous engagements across all fronts that killed over 60,000 Union soldiers and pushed the front in the east all the way back to Washington City, he made a statement to the Washington Evening Star acknowledging the disaster but insisting that the Union must be prepared to suffer on for the sake of making itself whole again. Charles Marshall described the statement as "a cry of pain".
When the Second American Revolution ended with a Confederate victory, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis agreed to a peace conference with three Peace Commissioners appointed by each side. Lincoln appointed Stanton as one of the three U.S. commissioners, along with William Seward and Benjamin Butler. A peace treaty was negotiated whereby the Confederacy abandoned claims to West Virginia and Maryland, while the United States ceded the Indian Territory. Also, state-wide referendum were to be held to determine the status of Kentucky and Missouri. Kentucky voted to join the Confederacy while Missouri voted to remain with the Union.
Political offices (OTL) | ||
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Preceded by Jeremiah S. Black |
United States Attorney General 1860-1861 |
Succeeded by Edward Bates |
Preceded by Simon Cameron |
United States Secretary of War 1861-1868 |
Succeeded by James M. Schofield |
Political offices (The Guns of the South) | ||
Preceded by Simon Cameron |
United States Secretary of War 1861-1865 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
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