Civil War Lawyers: Constitutional Questions, Courtroom Dramas, and the Men Behind Them

Lawyers dominated public and political life during the first third of American history, and many lawyers prominent during the Civil War were aware of each other professionally, but also tried cases with and against each other before the War. The key members of Lincoln's cabinet were all lawyers, as were Lincoln's key diplomatic appointees and the five men who tried to end the War at the Hampton Roads Peace Conference in February 1865.