Epilogue

Abstract

The epilogue presents soldiers' reactions to Lincoln's assassination before discussing veterans' political activity in the immediate postwar period. For men who had come to predicate loyalty on obedience to the sitting administration, Andrew Johnson's rise to the presidency frustrated many and spurred them to form pro-Republican fraternal groups. These groups, including the Soldiers' and Sailors' National Union League and the Boys in Blue, exerted significant influence in the 1866 midterm elections and helped Republicans in their contest against presidential reconstruction.