The Recollections of Abraham Lincoln by Ward Hill Lamon - HTML preview

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Introduction by Senator Baker

53

Impression made by Inaugural Address

54

Oath of Office Administered

54

The Call of the New York Delegation on the President

55

[xiii]

CHAPTER IV.

GLOOMY FOREBODINGS OF COMING CONFLICT.

Geographical Lines distinctly drawn

56

Behavior of the 36th Congress

57

Letter of Hon. Joseph Holt on the "Impending Tragedy"

58

South Carolina formally adopts the Ordinance of Secession

62

Southern Men's Opinion of Slavery

62

Mr. Lincoln imagines Himself in the Place of the Slave-Holder

65

Judge J. S. Black on Slavery as regarded by the Southern Man

66

Emancipation a Question of Figures as well as Feeling

66

Mission to Charleston

68

"Bring back a Palmetto, if you can't bring Good News"

70

Why General Stephen A. Hurlbut went to Charleston

70

Visit to Mr. James L. Pettigrew—Peaceable Secession or War Inevitable

71

"A great Goliath from the North"—"A Yankee Lincoln-Hireling"

72

Initiated into the great "Unpleasantness"

73

Interview with Governor Pickens—No Way out of Existing Difficulties but to fight out

74

Passes written by Governor Pickens

75,78

Interview with Major Anderson

75

Rope strong enough to hang a Lincoln-Hireling

76

Timely Presence of Hon. Lawrence Keith

77

Extremes of Southern Character exemplified

77

Interview with the Postmaster of Charleston

78

Experience of General Hurlbut in Charleston

79

CHAPTER V.

HIS SIMPLICITY.

The Ease with which Mr. Lincoln could be reached

80

Visit of a Committee from Missouri

81

A Missouri "Orphan" in Trouble

82

Protection Paper for Betsy Ann Dougherty

83

Case of Young Man convicted of Sleeping at his Post

86

[xiv]

Reprieve given to a Man whom a "little Hanging would not hurt"

87

An Appeal for Mercy that failed

88

An Appeal for the Release of a Church in Alexandria

89

"Reason" why Sentence of Death should not be passed upon a Parricide

90

The Tennessee Rebel Prisoner who was Religious

90

The Lord on our Side or We on the Side of the Lord

91

Clergymen at the White House

91

Number of Rebels in the Field

92

Mr. Lincoln dismisses Committee of Fault-Finding Clergymen

93

Mistaken Identity and the Sequel

94

Desire to be like as well as of and for the People

96

Hat Reform

97

Mr. Lincoln and his Gloves

97

Bearing a Title should not injure the Austrian Count

99

CHAPTER VI.

HIS TENDERNESS.

Mr. Lincoln's Tenderness toward Animals

101

Mr. Lincoln refuses to sign Death Warrants for Deserters—Kind Words better than

102

Cold Lead

How Mr. Lincoln shared the Sufferings of the Wounded Soldiers

103

Letters of Condolence

106-108

CHAPTER VII.

DREAMS AND PRESENTIMENTS.

Superstition—A Rent in the Veil which hides from Mortal View what the Future holds

111

The Day of Mr. Lincoln's Renomination at Baltimore

112

Double Image in Looking-Glass—Premonition of Impending Doom

112

Mr. Lincoln relates a Dream which he had a Few Days before his Assassination

114

[xv]

A Dream that always portended an Event of National Importance

118

Mr. Lincoln's Last Drive

119

Mr. Lincoln's Philosophy concerning Presentiments and Dreams

121

CHAPTER VIII.

THE HUMOROUS SIDE OF HIS CHARACTER.

Mr. Lincoln calls himself "Only a Retail Story-Dealer"

123

The Purpose of Mr. Lincoln's Stories

124

Mr. Lincoln shocks the Public Printer

124

A General who had formed an Intimate Acquaintance with himself

125

Charles I. held up as a Model for Mr. Lincoln's Guidance in Dealing with Insurgents—Had

127

no Head to Spare

Question of whether Slaves would starve if Emancipated

127

Mr. Lincoln expresses his Opinion of Rebel Leaders to Confederate

128

Commissioners at the Peace Conference

Impression made upon Mr. Lincoln by Alex. H. Stephens

129

Heading a Barrel

129

A Fight, its Serious Outcome, and Mr. Lincoln's Kindly View of the Affair

130

Not always easy for Presidents to have Special Trains furnished them

132

Mr. Lincoln's Reason for not being in a Hurry to Catch the Train

133

"Something must be done in the Interest of the Dutch"

134

San Domingo Affair

134

Cabinet had shrunk up North

135

Ill Health of Candidates for the Position of Commissioner of the Sandwich Islands

135

Encouragement to Young Lawyer who lost his Case

136

Settle the Difficulty without Reference to Who commenced the Fuss

137

"Doubts about the Abutment on the Other Side"

138

Mr. Anthony J. Bleeker tells his Experience in Applying for a Position—Believed in

138

Punishment after Death

Mr. Lincoln points out a Marked Trait in one of the Northern Governors

140

"Ploughed around him"

142

Revenge on Enemy

143

[xvi]

CHAPTER IX.

THE ANTIETAM EPISODE.—LINCOLN'S LOVE OF SONG.

If a Cause of Action is Good it needs no Vindication

144

Letter from A. J. Perkins

145

Mr. Lincoln's Own Statement of the Antietam Affair

147

One "Little Sad Song"

150

Well Timed Rudeness of Kind Intent

151

Favorite Songs

152

Adam and Eve's Wedding Day

152

Favorite Poem: "O Why Should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud?"

153

CHAPTER X.

HIS LOVE OF CHILDREN.

The Incident which led Mr. Lincoln to wear a Beard

158

The Knife that fairly belonged to Mr. Lincoln

159

Mr. Lincoln is introduced to the Painter of his "Beautiful Portrait"

160

Death of Mr. Lincoln's Favorite Child

161

Measures taken to break the Force of Mr. Lincoln's Grief

162

The Invasion of Tad's Theatre

164

Tad introduces some Kentucky Gentlemen

166

CHAPTER XI.

THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE GETTYSBURG SPEECH.

The Gettysburg Speech

169

A Modesty which scorned Eulogy for Achievements not his Own

170

Mr. Lincoln's Regret that he had not prepared the Gettysburg Speech with Greater Care

173

Mr. Everett's and Secretary Seward's Opinion of the Speech

174

The Reported Opinion of Mr. Everett

174

Had unconsciously risen to a Height above the Cultured Thought of the Period

176

Intrinsic Excellence of the Speech first discovered by European Journals

176

[xvii]

How the News of Mr. Lincoln's Death was received by Other Nations

176

Origin of Phrase "Government of the People, by the People, and for the People"

177

CHAPTER XII.

HIS UNSWERVING FIDELITY TO PURPOSE.

An Intrigue to appoint a Dictator

180

"Power, Plunder, and Extended Rule"

181

Feared Nothing except to commit an Involuntary Wrong

182

President of One Part of a Divided Country—Not a Bed of Roses

182

Mr. Lincoln asserts himself

184

Demands for General Grant's Removal

184

Distance from the White House to the Capitol

185

Stoical Firmness of Mr. Lincoln in standing by General Grant

185

Letter from Mr. Lincoln to General Grant

186

The Only Occasion of a Misunderstanding between the President and General Grant

187

Special Order Relative to Trade-Permits

188

Extract from Wendell Phillips's Speech

189

Willing to abide the Decision of Time

190

Unworthy Ambition of Politicians and the Jealousies in the Army

191

Resignation of General Burnside—Appointment of Successor

192

War conducted at the Dictation of Political Bureaucracy

193

Letter to General Hooker

194

Mr. Lincoln's Treatment of the Subject of Dictatorship

195

Symphony of Bull-Frogs

196

"A Little More Light and a Little Less Noise"

198

CHAPTER XIII.

HIS TRUE RELATIONS WITH McCLELLAN.

Mr. Lincoln not a Creature of Circumstances

199

Subordination of High Officials to Mr. Lincoln

200

The Condition of the Army at Beginning and Close of General McClellan's

201

Command

[xviii]

Mr. Lincoln wanted to "borrow" the Army if General McClellan did not want to use it

202

Mr. Lincoln's Opinion of General McClellan. A Protest denouncing the Conduct of

203

McClellan

Mr. Lincoln alone Responsible to the Country for General McClellan's Appointment

204

as Commander of the Forces at Washington

Confidential Relationship between Francis P. Blair and Mr. Lincoln

205

Mr. Blair's Message to General McClellan

206

General McClellan repudiates the Obvious Meaning of the Democratic Platform

207

Mr. Lincoln hopes to be "Dumped on the Right Side of the Stream"

208

Last Appeal to General McClellan's Patriotism

208

Proposition Declined

210

CHAPTER XIV.

HIS MAGNANIMITY.

Public Offices in no Sense a Fund upon which to draw for the Payment of Private

212

Accounts

Busy letting Rooms while the House was on Fire

214

Peremptory Order to General Meade

214

Conditions of Proposition to renounce all Claims to Presidency and throw Entire

215

Influence in Behalf of Horatio Seymour

Mr. Thurlow Weed to effect Negotiation

216

Mr. Lincoln deterred from making the Magnanimous Self-Sacrifice

217

How Mr. Lincoln thought the Currency was made

217

Mr. Chase explains the System of Checks—The President impressed with Danger

218

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