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Mark Grimsley argued in Hard Hand of War (1995) that the 1862 Peninsula Campaign was the turning point in the creation of the Federal hard war policy. Glenn David Brasher zeroes in on the campaign's impact regarding one part of that policy, emancipation, and, unlike Grimsley, he extensively explores it. Brasher maintains that Confederate use of numerous slaves to build fortifications contributed to the failure of the Federal invasion under Gen. George McClellan, an opponent of Union interference with slavery. According to Brasher, McClellan's inability to end the war, exaggerated tales about Confederate use of slave soldiers, the large number of slaves fleeing to Federal forces, and the Union troops' receptivity to them because of their usefulness enabled the Radical Republicans to convince a formerly reluctant President Abraham Lincoln to issue an emancipation proclamation. Multiple factors made the campaign a turning point. Through extensive research and thought Brasher draws a number of persuasive conclusions. Armies had typically involved slaves in previous wars by promising them freedom or other rewards; but since the Confederates fought to preserve the institution, they had a troubled relationship with the bondsmen. The slaves' practice of covert nighttime activities prepared them well for scouting and spying for Federals. Slaves could not help but try to persuade Federals to oppose slavery.
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