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To: DiogenesLamp
DiogenesLamp: "I've read several, and they mention how Lincoln's army arrived off the railroad cars and began intimidating, bribing, shouting down, and raising ruckus to get him the nomination."

Naw... you're still confusing Lincoln with Seward.
Lincoln's supporters were local, from Illinois and Chicago.
They didn't need trains to take them to Chicago, they were already there!

Wig-Wam, Republican Convention, 12,000 attendees:

Seward supporters came out of New York, mainly his hometown of Auburn, 650 miles away from Chicago.
That's why they needed whole trainloads to take them there.

Seward's was by far the biggest delegation (NY+ 8 other states with 173 votes), followed by Cameron (PA 50), Chase (Ohio 48) and Bates (MO 48).
Lincoln was 5th in committed votes (IL 22), but he did have the "home field advantage", plus the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and local supporters who did not need to ride hundreds of miles on trains to get there.

During the convention (May 16-18, 1860), Lincoln's supporters were able to persuade another 80 delegates -- scattered a few each among 10 states -- to vote Lincoln, bringing Lincoln's first ballot total to 102 votes.
This made Lincoln 2nd after Seward.

But Seward's basic problem was, he was seen as a "radical" abolitionist and so overly antagonistic to such Republican friendly slave-states as Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia (especially western Virginia).
Also, Seward had previously p*ssed-off Horace Greeley and his New York Tribune -- there was personal animosity between them.
So Greeley originally favored Chase or Bates, but eventually settled on Lincoln.

Lincoln's supporters convinced many delegates and Horace Greeley that Lincoln's "moderation" was the winning ticket for November 1860.

And so it was.

First vote May 18, 1860, Chicago Republican convention (Red is Seward):

88 posted on 04/17/2025 6:31:02 AM PDT by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: BroJoeK
Lincoln's supporters were local, from Illinois and Chicago. They didn't need trains to take them to Chicago, they were already there!

Lincoln's supporters were from Springfield, which is where he lived and where he made his living.

91 posted on 04/17/2025 10:54:58 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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