Edward Everett

Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and U.S. Secretary of State. He also taught at Harvard University and served as its president.

Everett was one of the great American orators of the antebellum and Civil War eras. He is often remembered today as the featured orator at the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery in 1863, where he spoke for over two hours, immediately before President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous, two-minute Gettysburg Address.

Prior to the war, he had ran for Vice President on one of the tickets opposing Lincoln in 1860.

Edward Everett in The Guns of the South
Edward Everett ran for Vice President of the United States in two consecutive elections. The first was in 1860 with John Bell of the Constitutional Union Party, the second was in 1864 with George McClellan's independent campaign. In both elections, the ticket containing Everett came in fourth in the popular vote, but third in the Electoral College.

Literary comment
While the name of McClellan's running mate is not revealed in the novel proper, the chart at the back of the book gives the name "Everett." Since all the other candidates in the election are historical figures, it is safe to assume that Harry Turtledove had Edward Everett in mind.