Abraham Lincoln and Treason in the Civil War: The Trials of John Merryman

CONTENTS

ix Contents Acknowledgments / xi Introduction / 1 1 “Baltimore is to be the Battlefield of the Southern Revolution” The Baltimore Riot and the Formation of Lincoln’s Habeas Corpus Policy / 10 2 “A Collision of Civil and Military Authority” The Arrest and Incarceration of John Merryman / 25 3 “Prosecute Your Best Cases—Not the Weak and Doubtful” The Difficulty of Punishing Disloyalty in the Loyal States / 44 4 “Necessity Is the Tyrant’s Plea” The Habeas Corpus Act, Part I: Congressional Reaction to Military Arrests and Tribunals / 64 x | Contents 5 “The Government Must in Some Way Sustain You in Your Official Acts” The Habeas Corpus Act, Part II: The Failure of Congress to Protect Those Waging War / 90 Epilogue “Habeas Corpus John” / 107 Notes / 123 Bibliography / 165 Index / 185 Illustrations follow page 106 ...