Dean, I thank you for your correction and accept that I have allowed myself to be misled on that assertion by assuming that several sources I consulted were accurate. I realise now that they were/are not.

I think my belief was perhaps assisted by what I see as Lincoln’s ‘tight-rope’ walking on the issue. His marriage to the daughter of a slave-owner, his friendship with slave owners, and his thoughtful strategy to not alienate border States which supported slavery, choosing rather to prevent its extension but take a more compromising position on the promotion of gradual changes that would move towards the eventual total abolition of slavery.

Thank you for making me re-assess my understanding and improve my knowledge. I apologise to all for the false assertion.