In 1856...I preferred the success of a candidate whose election would prevent or postpone secession, to seeing the country plunged into a war the end of which no man could foretell. With a Democrat elected by the unanimous vote of the Slave States, there could be no pretext for secession for four years.... I therefore voted for James Buchanan as President.

The great bulk of the legal voters of the South were men who owned no slaves; their homes were generally in the hills and poor country; their facilities for educating their children, even up to the point of reading and writing, were very limited; their interest in the contest was very meagre--what there was, if they had been capable of seeing it, was with the North; they too needed emancipation.

In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.

I know only two tunes: one of them is "Yankee Doodle" and the other isn't.

Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.

There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword.

There are but few important events in the affairs of men brought about by their own choice.