in Haugen 26).
In addition, Lincoln wrote a letter to Horace Greeley stating that he intended to maintain the Union and that solving the slavery debate would be a secondary issue. In order to preserve the Union, Lincoln needed to establish an army. On July 22, 1861, Lincoln organized a force of 500,000 soldiers who volunteered to serve in the army for three years ("The Civil War, 1861" 13). Furthermore, Lincoln had soldiers build camps and garrison buildings along certain point across the 1,950-mile boundary separating them and the south (13). Moreover, Lincoln required that all regular troops serve the nation for the duration of the war. Lincoln arranged the soldiers into groups such as regiments brigades and divisions. Additionally, he established a draft in 1863 to select soldiers. Besides producing an army Lincoln also exhibited dedication towards his troops. During the war, Lincoln visited the Army of Potomac to help out the troops. He went to the V Corp hospitals and conversed with each injured person. Additionally, he shook hands with the soldiers. The soldiers observed that he sacrificed himself for their cause. One soldier said, "Lincoln showed signs of vast care and responsibility" (Qtd. in Hennessy 5). Lastly, Lincoln and the Union triumphed in the key battles of the war. In the Battle of Gettysburg, Robert Lee marched his Confederate soldiers to Pennsylvania and attacked Harrisburg. The Union soldiers came in defense and forced the Confederate troops back. Then, the Confederate army launched an attack of 14,000 troops on the Union center line (Cayton 344). This strike completely failed as the majority of the soldiers died from gunshots and cannons. In addition, the Battle of Vicksburg helped to sway the momentum of the war. General Ulysses Grant decided to siege the city of Vicksburg. He surrounded the city and bombarded Vicksburg with 2,800 cannon shells per day for forty-seven days straight (344-345).
