"We are coming Father Abraham, Three hundred thousand strong." Thus they called the great president "Father Abraham" and showed how much they loved him. Gen. George B. McClellan was put in command of the army. The first battle of any note was that of Bull Run, near Washington. In this the Northern soldiers were driven back and beaten. It seemed very discouraging then for the cause of the Union. More soldiers enlisted and the army was trained and drilled until Mr. Lincoln thought they ought to attack Gen. Lee, who commanded the Confederate army. He felt sure as they had more men they could defeat him and capture Richmond, which was now the capital of the Confederate States. General McClellan seemed to be afraid to move forward and wanted more time to drill the men he had and make other preparations and also wanted more men. In the meantime, of course Gen. Lee was making stronger his army and preparing more defences around Richmond so that it was harder to defeat him. The army in the West was not doing very well either. But at last Illinois furnished another son in the person of General Grant, who won great and decisive victories. Vicksburg, which was the great stronghold of the Southern army in the West surrendered to him July 4, 1863. President Lincoln had been trying in every way to get General McClellan to move on the enemy but could not, and at last the general was moved from command. General Meade had command of the Eastern army which fought the battle of Gettysburg and won that great victory on the same Fourth of July that General Grant captured Vicksburg. The battle of Gettysburg is said to have been about the greatest in history; 23,000 soldiers were killed. Now there was great rejoicing in the North. In these early years of the war, President Lincoln was placed in a very hard position. The abolitionists abused him because he did not issue the emancipation proclamation, freeing the slaves; the Middle states, that had not seceded, threatened to do so if he did. Some of his own Cabinet were not true to him. The people cried out because General McClellan would not move forward, and Mr. Lincoln tried in vain to get him to do so. Therefore these great victories of Vicksburg and Gettysburg came to him as a wonderful blessing and relief from the awful strain he had been enduring. General Grant had won some other grand victories preceding the capture of Vicksburg, and the Union, as the old ship of state, seemed to be sailing into more peaceful waters. "Sail on, O ship of state, Sail on, O Union, strong and great; Humanity with all its fears, With all its hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate. In spite of rock and tempest roar, In spite of false lights on the shore; Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea, Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers are all with thee."