How did lincoln respond to the capture of those cities

Abraham Lincoln was willing to do almost anything to preserve the Union before the Civil War began and to hold the border states in the war’s first years. As the fighting dragged on, his greatest goal was ending the war; ending slavery was not his abiding passion.

which time period is this? or is this story fictional, i'm going to need more info to answer this question

europe would not recognize the confederacy as an independent nation.