General Correspondence, Vols. 83-94, July – September 1880

After being nominated by the Republican Party in June as its presidential candidate, James A. Garfield spent a summer dominated by the coming election in November. Although candidates then did not hit the campaign trail themselves, they were kept busy meeting supporters and curious visitors, fielding inquiries from the media, and being barraged with letters of advice and requests for favors, endorsements, and patronage positions if elected, all of which Garfield experienced. He also tried to broker a detente between the Stalwart and Half-Breed factions of the Republican Party.