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Lincoln Exedra in Peekskill, |
The audience at the Peekskill speech may or may not have been Lincoln supporters. The county had divided over the election, with the Union-Electoral "Anti-Lincoln" ticket topping the Republican ticket by 1,455 votes. Anti-Lincoln sentiment continued throughout the war in parts of Westchester. The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, was followed several months later by the first conscription act, prompting draft riots in New York and Westchester. Lincoln again failed to carry the county in the1864 election. However, personal recollections of Lincoln from Westchester residents are respectful, emphasizing Lincoln's belief in the justice of his cause.
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