The Dark Intrigue: The True Story Of A Civil War Conspiracy

by Frank Van Der Linden

The Dark Intrigue tells for the first time the incredible story of how leaders of an American political party, during the Civil War, conferred cordially with enemy agents in a foreign country in a scheme to oust the president of the United States and enforce peace without victory.

Most Northerners initially supported Abraham Lincoln's war against the Southern Confederacy to save the Union. But later, many turned against it when the death toll soared above a half million. Hoping to recapture the White House as a "peace party," leading Democrats met with Confederate agents in the summer of 1864 and discussed ways to end the war-not win it. Lincoln charged that one Confederate agent, C. C. Clay, had convinced the Democrats to orchestrate an armistice. This intriguing book reveals letters from Clay that confirm Lincoln's suspicions. A fascinating read, The Dark Intrigue brings an important piece of Civil War history to light. 

308 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2007

Reviews

[Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the tale of a Civil War effort to have Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio [then considered the 'northwest'] to withdraw for the war and the union and prevent President Lincoln's re-election if not cause him to be impeached. I know I didnt learn about aby of this in school!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story...There were attempts to seize several state
governments in the North and get them out of the war. An insurrection
was planned during the Democratic Party convention in Chicago--the
one that nominated George McClellan as the Dem candidate. He was
backed by some prominent business interests including the Rothschilds
(some pro-Lincoln people pointed this out with anti-Semitic comments).
McClellan was backed by the "War Democrats" who supported victory by
the North over secession but over slavery. They were opposed by the
"Peace Democrats" who essentially supported the Confederacy. They met
with representatives of the Confederacy in meetings in Canada.

Here is what Amazon.com said about the author:

Frank van der Linden became a Civil War historian after nearly half a century as a Washington newspaper correspondent, covering Congress and the White House. He first interviewed President Harry Truman at a poker party for congressional Democrats in 1945 and closed his White House career with President George H. W. Bush. He wrote a nationally syndicated column and appeared as a frequent guest panelist on the NBC television show Meet the Press. One of President Ronald Reagan's favorite correspondents, van der Linden profiled the president in his book The Real Reagan. His fifth book, Lincoln: The Road to War, received praise from reviewers as a "provocative" and thoroughly researched work of scholarship.