South retreats from Champion HillOn May 16, 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed at the Battle of Champion Hill in Mississippi, dueling with artillery and rifle fire.President Abraham Lincoln’s outspoken war secretary, Simon Cameron, a canny old-time political boss from Pennsylvania, resigns the all-important Cabinet post on Jan. 14, 1862.
Known for bold and even aggressive views on war measures, Cameron had drawn the ire of others in the Cabinet and departs amid angry complaints about his guidance of the federal War Department.
Three days after being eased out by the Lincoln administration, Cameron will be appointed to a diplomatic post in distant Russia. In Cameron’s place, Lincoln appoints Edwin Stanton, a capable administrator, as his new war secretary.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer of Ohio hails Stanton’s appointment as “The Right Man in the Right Place.” It adds the appointment has given “great pleasure” to many in Washington. “They have confidence in his energy and pluck, and believe he will push on the war,” the newspaper reports.
