Albert Taylor Bledsoe Abraham Lincoln Critic Confederate States of America Leader

Albert Taylor Bledsoe was a prolific writer of books and articles related to slavery and the Confederate States of America. A native of Kentucky he practiced law in Springfield, Illinois during the 1840s. At this time he became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln who was also a Springfield lawyer. The two men were cordial at first. Later Bledsoe grew to hate Lincoln with a passion. An anecdote I've found from research recounts Lincoln signing a directive that allowed passage to Bledsoe's wife through the tight Union blockade of the CSA. During the height of the Civil War Harriet Bledsoe had gone North seeking clothing for her children. Bledsoe's dislike for Lincoln was multifaceted. As a Methodist preacher he had little patience for Lincoln's lack of faith in God. Before he became President he had written about his weak faith in a divine being. Bledsoe also despised the intransigence of the President's prosecution of the war against the South.