KNOXVILLE, Tenn.(WVLT)— A cache of 270 ballots cast in the 1864 Presidential Election will cross the auction block January 26 at the Winter Case Antiques Auction in Knoxville. The ballots helped re-elect Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, and thereby ultimately played a role in ending slavery in the United States.

The majority of the ballots were cast for Lincoln and his Republican running mate, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee. Only about 32 went for the Democratic ticket of General George McClellan and George Pendleton.

It was one of the few elections to take place in a wartime setting, and adding to the historical interest, these ballots were all cast by Civil War soldiers in Ohio, voting from the field. Some scribbled inscriptions on their ballots such as “As I fight so I vote + no compromise with Copperheads [peace-seeking democrats] of the North or Rebels of the South” and “The Union now and forever”. Unlike ballots today, these were issued with varying printed designs like flags, eagles, and portraits of the candidates, which make them popular with paper collectors as well as collectors of political memorabilia.

Lincoln won the 1864 election with 212 electoral votes to McClellan’s 21, and the soldier vote was said to have been a major factor in his victory. No electoral votes were counted from the Southern states.

While individual ballots from the election surface occasionally at antique shows and online auctions, company president and appraiser John Case said it is unusual to have such a large grouping come on the market and he expects them to attract interest from collectors across the country. The ballots are being sold as a single lot with a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$6,000.