One hundred fifty years after the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln is thought of as one of the best presidents of the United States. However, most Americans forget that he was elected with only 40 percent of the popular vote. Many Democratic newspapers across the North mistrusted Lincoln's claim that he would not abolish slavery, and the lukewarm support evidenced by them collapsed after Lincoln announced his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in the fall of 1862. The advent of a national draft in the spring of 1863 only added fuel to the fire with anti-Lincoln Democrats arguing that it was illegal to draft civilians. Many newspaper editors advocated active resistance against the draft.

Columbia County goes to war, 1861-1862 --The Democrats grow stronger -- The draft comes to the North -- Columbia County and the draft, 1863 -- Columbia County and the draft, January-July 1864 -- A shooting -- Military intervention -- Soldiers and civilians -- Prison -- The military trials -- The war's end and Knob Mountain -- Postwar reverberations -- Historiography -- Conclusions -- Appendix : list of prisoners sent to Fort Mifflin, September 1, 1864.

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