Lincoln on Trial: Southern Civilians and the Law of War

The acclaimed Lincoln scholar examines the president's treatment of Southern civilians during the Civil War, shedding new light on his wartime conduct.

By twenty-first century standards, President Lincoln's adherence to the laws of war would be considered questionable. But could be condemned as a war criminal based on the accepted standards of his time? Lincoln's critics, past and present, have not hesitated to make the charge, while his apologists defend his actions as reasonable and huma...