Lincoln dies of smallpox in 1863

It's a somewhat little-known fact that Lincoln was ill, likely with smallpox, when he delivered his Gettysburg address. On the train ride to Gettysburg he felt weak and dizzy, but still gave the speech with no issues, though he did appear pale and felt ill. On the ride back to Washington, Lincoln's health worsened, complaining of a severe headache. Not long after returning to the Executive Mansion, he developed back pains, high fever, and a rash that developed into the telltale itchy, peeling lesions.

While his doctor diagnosed his condition as a milder form of the illness now called Variola minor, a 2007 study by the Journal of Medical Biography determined that this could not be the case. Variola minor was never observed in the US before the end of the 19th century, so was unknown to American doctors at the time. Lincoln more likely had the life-threatening form, Variola major. Lincoln's son Tad and valet William Johnson also became ill, Johnson dying in January 1864.

Lincoln recovered, but what if he hadn't? Hannibal Hamlin was seldom involved in any of the decisions Lincoln made, though he was a firm supporter of the Emancipation Proclamation and black troops. He also pressed for Joe Hooker to be made commander of the Army of the Potomac.

How much he'll keep lockstep with Lincoln's OTL decisions, I'm not sure; he might decide to leave Washington when Early approaches the city, which could provide easy Democratic fodder in the election. Then again, I'm not sure if Hamlin would be nominated by the Union Party in 1864.
 
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Do we know anything about Hamlin's view of General Grant?

Grant advocated using he UNion's supremacy at se to launch massive raids against Confederate railroads, and so render Lee's position in VA untenable. Halleck overruled him and insisted on concentration between Washington and Richmond. See http://members.tripod.com/~american_almanac/grant.htm

Any chance that Hamlin would have taken Grant's side? Might have ended the war quite a bit sooner.
 
Do we know anything about Hamlin's view of General Grant?

Grant advocated using he UNion's supremacy at se to launch massive raids against Confederate railroads, and so render Lee's position in VA untenable. Halleck overruled him and insisted on concentration between Washington and Richmond. See http://members.tripod.com/~american_almanac/grant.htm

Any chance that Hamlin would have taken Grant's side? Might have ended the war quite a bit sooner.
I can't find much on Hamlin's relationship with any of the Union commanders, so I can't say. In the abscence of anything else, I'd expect Hamlin to rely on Halleck's wisdom.
 
While it borders on ASB, perhaps Hamlin and Hooker set up something like a "Committee of Public Safety" in the aftermath of Early's attack on Washington?

Hamlin could bring Hooker back to replace Meade as commander of the AotP in 1864. Hooker and Grant could have some interesting clashes, to say the least.

@Arnold d.c
 
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Hamlin, like most US Vice Presidents, is something of a cipher.

"Once there was a poor widow with two sons. One ran off to sea, the other became Vice President, and neither was ever heard of again."

Lincoln's death would be about the same time as Grant's victories at Chattanooga. This included Hooker's success at Lookout Mountain, which might encourage Hamlin to promote Hooker.

It wou;d be interesting to know what Hamlin thought of Lincoln's Cabinet secretaries: Seward, Stanton, Bates, Chase, Welles... Hamlin would still be in office at the end of 1864, when Chief Justice Taney finally died. Would he appoint Chase, as Lincoln did? Or (if not elected to a full term in 1864, would he be viewed as a "lame duck", and blocked from making the appointment? (Though Marshall's appointment in January 1801 was approved by acclamation...)
 
Hamlin, like most US Vice Presidents, is something of a cipher.

"Once there was a poor widow with two sons. One ran off to sea, the other became Vice President, and neither was ever heard of again."

Lincoln's death would be about the same time as Grant's victories at Chattanooga. This included Hooker's success at Lookout Mountain, which might encourage Hamlin to promote Hooker.

It wou;d be interesting to know what Hamlin thought of Lincoln's Cabinet secretaries: Seward, Stanton, Bates, Chase, Welles... Hamlin would still be in office at the end of 1864, when Chief Justice Taney finally died. Would he appoint Chase, as Lincoln did? Or (if not elected to a full term in 1864, would he be viewed as a "lame duck", and blocked from making the appointment? (Though Marshall's appointment in January 1801 was approved by acclamation...)
Hamlin could probably remove Meade due to his "reluctance" to bring Lee to battle in late 1863, and bring Hooker, the victor of Lookout Mountain, back East. While Hooker had better luck out West, it seems his personality could make working with Grant very difficult. It could make early 1864 a repeat of early 1863, when some of the AotP commanders plotted against Burnside.
 
Would Hamlin have been elected in 1864?
Would the war have followed roughly otl?

I suspect that Hamlin would have proposed stronger protections for former slaves
 
Would Hamlin have been elected in 1864?

OTL, the war was going badly enough that there was some question as to whether Lincoln would be renominated. He a surge of "grass-roots" support from State Republican parties, but a little-known accidental POTUS might well not.

Grant in 1864?
 
OTL, the war was going badly enough that there was some question as to whether Lincoln would be renominated. He a surge of "grass-roots" support from State Republican parties, but a little-known accidental POTUS might well not.

Grant in 1864?
The AotP was still fighting in the trenches around Petersburg during the summer and fall of 1864, I'm not sure Grant would want to leave the army during active campaigning. That said, he may decide to do so anyway.
 
The AotP was still fighting in the trenches around Petersburg during the summer and fall of 1864, I'm not sure Grant would want to leave the army during active campaigning. That said, he may decide to do so anyway.

Candidates in those days didn't necessarily go on the stump and campaign in person. Grant would likely stay at his post and just give some interviews.
 
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