The Darker Side of Lincoln

History can often be a confusing jumble of dates, places, and events. We learn the "facts" of history, but rarely understand the personal side of historical figures, especially people like Abraham Lincoln, who take on almost mythical status through the years. We forget that these people experienced the same raw emotions that we do: contentment and longing; joy and sorrow; anger and happiness.

Lincoln was no different from anyone else. Though he appears to us through the lens of history as a kind and understanding man, he could show flashes of anger with political opponents and the occasional personal enemy. A newly discovered letter written by Lincoln reveals his darker side. This letter, written on February 13, 1864, to a "Mrs. Neagle" came to light recently as part of an auction of presidential manuscripts to be held by Sotheby's.

Some of the letter reads: "As I understand it your husband … knowingly and willingly helped a rebel to get out of our lines to the enemy to join in fighting and killing our people … You protest, nevertheless, that you and he are loyal, and you may really think so, but this is a view of loyalty which it is difficult to conceive that any sane person could take, and on which the government cannot tolerate and hope to live …"

Although more research is necessary, it is suspected that "Mrs. Neagle's" husband must have been imprisoned for treason, a subject which Lincoln took very seriously. The letter must have been written in reply to a request for her husband's parole.

On the other side of this letter, however, Lincoln wrote another few lines stating that Senator Harlan of Iowa knew the Neagle family and that they were "diligent friends." Following Lincoln's handwriting, the note was signed by General Edward Canby. So Mrs. Neagle may very well have ended up obtaining her husband's release.

The letter is estimated to be worth a cool $250,000 to $350,000. Given the abundant interest in Abraham Lincoln these days thanks to the upcoming bicentennial of his birth, I wouldn't be surprised if the letter fetches far more than the estimate.

This article from MSNBC contains more information about the letter and the story behind it.

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Lincoln Christmas Ornaments Benefit Easter Seals

The Easter Seals organization of Central Illinois has issued two Christmas ornaments this year depicting Abraham Lincoln. Part of the Ornament of Hope series, the sale of these ornaments will be used to fund programs that Easter Seals sponsors for helping families who have loved ones with special needs and disabilities.

The ornament at the top of this posting is issued in commemoration of the fourth Lincoln-Douglas debate, which was held in Charleston, Illinois. The top of the ornament reads: "Lincoln-Douglas Debates Sesquicentennial 1858-2008." It shows both Lincoln and Douglas, along with the debate museum located in Charleston. This link has a better illustration of the ornament, along with order information. You'll need a PDF viewer to see the order form.

The ornament at the bottom of the posting is issued for Decatur, Illinois and depicts a statue of Lincoln which is in that town. The caption reads: "At Twenty-One I Came To Illinois," a quotation from Lincoln. This link shows the ornament and order form. Again, you'll need a PDF viewer to see the form.

Each ornament is 24-karat gold-plated and costs just $15.00. All proceeds go to the Easter Seals organization of Central Illinois. It's a very worthy cause and how can you pass up such great Lincoln items?

Special thanks once more to my friend Christy for bringing these to my attention. Christy is the blogger behind "Mystic Chords Of Memory," a rich source of excellent information and great photos of historical sites from the around the country. Please drop by her site, too!

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Kevin Bacon As John Wilkes Booth

Today's Variety carries the news that the actor Kevin Bacon has signed to portray John Wilkes Booth in a new series titled The Booths on the Showtime cable network. According to the article, the series will focus on the dysfunctional relationship between Booth and his siblings, including his brother Edwin in the years leading up to Lincoln's assassination.

Bacon is a powerful actor who plays an excellent "bad guy" role. If The Booths is even half as good as Showtime's The Tudors, it will be worthwhile viewing. Production has yet to begin.

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Of Lincoln And His Speeches

To write that Abraham Lincoln had a way with words would be the mother of all understatements. His speeches speak to us today, especially his First and Second Inaugural Addresses and of course, the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln employed no speechwriter; he wrote his own. His writing had a simple, rhythmic style which conveyed majesty and righteousness in some of America's darkest days. Writers of his time and since have considered him to be one of the greatest wordsmiths in the English language.

The October 2008 issue of Smithsonian contains an insightful article about what made Lincoln's speeches so memorable. The article was written by Ted Sorenson, who was the main speech writer for President John F. Kennedy. He was the author of Kennedy's inaugural address, which contained the famous words "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

In the article, Sorenson makes the claim that Lincoln was also the greatest presidential speechwriter. He examines what made Lincoln's words so special, such as alliteration, repetition, rhythm, and timeless ideas. He also states that Lincoln was a much better speechwriter than orator, making comparisons to other presidents such as Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt. In Sorenson's opinion, it was the power and majesty of Lincoln's words which have made his speeches immortal. He closes his article by stating that "The presidents greatest in speechcraft are almost all the greatest in statecraft also—because speeches are not just words. They present ideas, directions and values, and the best speeches are those that get those right. As Lincoln did."

Coming from such an outstanding speechwriter in his own right, the praise from Sorenson is meaningful. Take some time to read the article. You won't be sorry you did.

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Lincoln Scholar's Collection On Display

In July of 1952, a 14-year-old boy named Ronald Rietveld made the discovery of a lifetime. While searching through papers of Abraham Lincoln's secretaries (John Hay and John Nicolay), he stumbled upon a photo of Abraham Lincoln in death. Lincoln's family felt that any photos of Lincoln in death were in poor taste and ordered them destroyed. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton agreed, but inexplicably kept this one photo, taken in New York City on April 24, 1865. The photo was a sensation when it was first published in Life magazine. It is the only known photo of Lincoln in death. Rietveld was granted special access to the papers thanks to his unusual interest and depth of knowledge of Lincoln. He was known to Lincoln scholars thanks to his writing numerous letters inquiring about the president and his life. A more detailed recounting of his find is located here.

Mr. Rietveld is still living and is now 71 years old. Along the way he achieved his doctorate in History. He has continued his lifelong fascination with everything Lincoln (I can certainly relate) and has collected various Lincoln items through the years. His collection is going on public display for the first time, in his hometown of Pella, Iowa. Some of the items Rietveld has collected include a log cabin lapel pin which Lincoln is said to have worn; a pile of dirt from Lincoln's birthplace; and a piece of a wreath which was on Lincoln's coffin.

The Des Moines (Iowa) Register has a nice article about Rietveld and the exhibit. He's providing a great service by sharing his Lincoln items. The photo below is of Mr. Rietveld with one of his items.

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The Abraham Lincoln Maze

People have long accused me of getting lost in all things related to Mr. Lincoln, be it in my books, stories, studies, or in my blogging. Now here is everyone's chance to *literally* become lost with Lincoln, or should I say, lost IN Lincoln?

Every year at this time, a farmer in Lexington, Kentucky sets up a maze in his cornfield. This year, John Kelley chose to do his maze with the image of the nation's 16th president. With the publicity associated with the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth next year, Mr. Kelley thought this would be an obvious choice, especially since Lincoln was born in the Bluegrass State.

The maze was professionally designed by a company from Utah, but Mr. Kelley did the work with a large mower. The maze covers an amazing 8.7 acres! In fact, it's so big that the only way to see the entire image is from the air. Note the houses at the top of the photo for some perspective. Very impressive. Visitors are welcome to wind their way through the maze for a small fee. And yes, some folks do get lost and have to be "rescued."

To read more about the maze, you may click here, which is an article from the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader newspaper.

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Lincoln Bicentennial Cents Unveiled

Earlier this week, the United States Mint unveiled the final designs for the new one cent coins being released next year to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln. There will be a total of four newly designed coins, the reverse of each showing a different stage of Lincoln's life. The first depicts the famous log cabin of his birth. The second shows a young Lincoln taking a break from log splitting in order to read. The third coin is a representation of Lincoln as an Illinois legislator, showing him standing in front of the State Capitol Building (which still stands) in Springfield, Illinois. The last coin in the series depicts the U.S. Capitol building with an unfinished dome, which is as it appeared during Lincoln's presidency. The obverse (i.e. "front") of each cent will remain the current design of Lincoln's profile.

I'd like to thank my friend, Christy, for alerting me to the news. Christy is also a blogger, and I'd highly recommend her "Mystic Chords Of Memory" blog which may be found here. It's an outstanding first-person account of her travels of historical sites around the U.S. The site also includes reviews and wonderful photos.

Christy also found another design for the new Lincoln cent series. Unfortunately, it didn't make the final cut. Too bad, because I think Lincoln would've made an excellent surfing dude.

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