Voting in the field...

[RyanBWeddle]

During the Bristoe campaign, Ohio troops cast ballots for the gubernatorial race between John Brough and Clement Vallandigham. On October 14, the men of the 110th Ohio voted. According to two members of the regiment, they believed that Brough would garner most of the Union soldier's ballots. Corporal Hill worried that fighting might interrupt their chance for voting, and if that occured, "I am afraid Val[landigham] will be elected as more than 4/5 of the soldier's will vote against him." According to Keifer, while skirmishing with the enemy, "ballot-boxes were opened, and a regular election was held for the Ohio troops, both the boxes and ballots being carried to the voters along the battle-line so they might vote without breaking it." After the tabulation, the colonel observed that "no Clark County man voted for Vallandigham."

from: The Weary Boys, Colonel J. Warren Keifer & the 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
by Thomas E. Pope p.48 Kent State Press 2002

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo Kameraden!

My g-g-grandfather along with a handful of men were noted in the regimental history of the 12th PA Cavalry as having "disgraced the regiment" in the 1864 election by not voting for Lincoln.

Either the men talked, or the ballots were not so secret... ;-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt