The Union army had over 75,000 courts-martial. The most controversial 1,100 came to Lincoln for a final decision. Would this man live or die? Would this officer be booted out in disgrace or given another chance? Did Lincoln mellow, become more merciful, as the war progressed? How did his clemency compare with that of Jefferson Davis? All these questions are answered by full Lincoln quotes and rigorous statistical analysis. Aspects of the war, hidden for generations, come to light here.