[MrEdd]

But the glue that bottomed out Union desertions was abolitionism.
The question “Lincoln and what army?” Could very well have ended the war had the South freed their slaves...because the North could not have kept a large enough force in the field after the early battles without abolition to galvanize the Union forces and because opposition to slavery kept England from allying with the Confederacy.

Lincoln’s statements were not backed up by the reality of maintaining a force in the field.

Checkmate.

[jeffersondem]

“Could very well have ended the war had the South freed their slaves...”

This raises the question: If the North wanted to free the slaves, why not introduce and pass a constitutional amendment in 1850, or 1860, or 1861 to abolish slavery? Then the war and all the killings and all the destruction and all the hard feelings could have just been skipped.

[central_va]

You have it totally backwards. In the beginning of the war, the all volunteer Union army was large and was willing to fight to "preserve the union"(what ever the hell that meant since the Union still has 20+ states in it even after secession). Nobody wanted to die to free a n-word. After the Army of the Potomac had been decimated by the Army of Northern VA Lincoln needed new supply of troops to augment the Mics coming off the boats in NYC. To that end Lincoln sighed the The Emancipation Proclamation which went over like a fart in church during Sunday communion. Then the US Congress passed the conscription act to bolster rapidly falling recruitment which set off a powder keg culminating in a race/draft riot in 1863.

Where did you learn faux history? You should get a refund.

[DoodleDawg]

Could very well have ended the war had the South freed their slaves...

Then why the need to secede in the first place?