In the opinion of most historians, 1863 and the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg marked the turning point for the American Civil War, but we only know this 150 years later, with the knowledge of the final outcome. For those alive at the end of 1863, Gettysburg and Vicksburg were just two battles, and to them, looking forward, 1864 would be the decisive year. For many reasons they were correct.

1864 would be an election year, and as it began, Abraham Lincoln’s election was in doubt; draft riots in the North, his…