Archive for October, 2007
« Previous EntriesCastro’s Lincoln?
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007I thought it was going to be a slow news week as far as Lincoln was concerned, but as it turns out, Fidel Castro proved me wrong.
The Cuban leader published an essay last Sunday, in which he criticized U. S. foreign policy and Geroge W. Bush. Nothing much new there. However, my eyes were immediately [...]
Lines on the Death of Col. Edward D. Baker
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007While the Lincoln family continued to mourn the loss of family friend Edward D. Baker, ten-year-old Willie Lincoln put the finishing touches on a poem he had been working on. That’s right. Lincoln’s precocious son memorialized the fallen hero of Ball’s Bluff in a poem, which he shared with a local newspaper editor.
On this date [...]
“One of the Mysteries of the War”
Monday, October 29th, 2007Everything in his background pointed toward success. His mother came from a prominent Pennsylvania family, while his father was a talented surgeon. At the age of fifteen, he entered the United States Military Academy, where he graduated four years later, second in a class of 59.
He served in the Mexican War, taught at West Point, [...]
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
Friday, October 26th, 2007The United States House of Representatives passed a bill this week that would create something called “The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area” in central Illinois.
United States Representative Ray LaHood (R-Peoria) explained why he introduced the bill:
The legacy of Abraham Lincoln is so interwoven with the history of Illinois—and especially the central part of our state—that [...]
Hiding in Plain Sight
Thursday, October 25th, 2007Sometimes the best place to hide is right out in the open. Three Lincoln documents have been “discovered” this week. Guess where they they found them?
For the last thirty years, the illusive documents have been hanging on a wall in Sangamon County Recorder Mary Ann Lamm’s office. That’s right, they’ve been hiding in plain view [...]
Refusing to Let the Vandals Win
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007Vandals defaced a train depot in Peekskill, New York. They painted swastikas on the door post and sprayed the “n-word” and other offensive language on the building, reports the Journal News.
But this is not merely a local story about vandalism or hate speech. No, the national media has picked up the story because the vandals [...]
The Battle of Ball’s Bluff–Part 2
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007The Lincoln family was not prepared to hear that Edward D. Baker had been killed at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. He had long been a welcome visitor to the Lincoln home, both in Springfield and in the White House. He was eloquent, full of energy, and extremelly ambitious. In addition to being a lawyer, [...]
The Battle of Ball’s Bluff–Part 1
Monday, October 22nd, 2007Very little had happened since the humiliation at Manasas Junction in July. “All Quiet Along the Potomac,” declared the war correspondents. But that silence was shattered on October 21, 1861.
General George B. McClellan was now in charge of Union forces. While he spent the last several months organizing and drilling his newly christened Army of [...]
“All the Ladies Like Whiskers”
Friday, October 19th, 2007An eleven year old girl wrote to the Republican candidate for president in 1860. She had just seen his picture and had a bit of advice for him: he should grow a beard!
“You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin,” reasoned Grace Bedell. But this was not merely a cosmetic [...]
John Brown Harpers Ferry: Part 3
Thursday, October 18th, 2007Colonel Robert E. Lee had taken a leave of absence from the military. His father-in-law had recently passed away and left him a large, but decaying plantation called Arlington, along with 196 slaves. Adjusting to life as a planter did not come easy for him.
Lee was working at Arlington when a rider approached. It was [...]