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Abraham Lincoln Book Acquisitions for 2013

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Ford's Theatre Lincoln book towerThere are over 15,000 books that have been written about Abraham Lincoln. At least that’s the number that is bandied about whenever someone talks about Lincoln books. Whether that number includes books about the Civil War or just books focused on Lincoln himself is also in question. In any case, I have over 800 titles, with more than 95% specific to the man, not the war.

Over the course of this past year I’ve obtained 98 titles. A few more than usual are Civil War-centric because of research I’ve been doing for a forthcoming book, along with random availability. The books represent a wide range of publication dates and topics of study. General Halleck’s definitive 1862 treatise, Elements of Military Art and Science, which Lincoln rabidly consulted, and an 1895 edition of John A. Logan’s The Great Conspiracy (in which he argues the South had long planned secession), are both new acquisitions this year. More recent tomes include the 2013 books: Lincoln ‘by littles,’ by Lewis E. Lehrman; Lincoln Unbound, by Rich Lowry; and Congressman Lincoln, by Chris DeRose.

Classic Lincoln scholars like William Herndon, Herbert Mitgang, Ida Tarbell, and Carl Sandburg are represented, as are modern experts like Harold Holzer, Gabor Boritt, Catherine Clinton, and Douglas L. Wilson.

The latter, Douglas L. Wilson, and his colleague Rodney O. Davis, have done Abraham Lincoln scholars an invaluable service by editing Herndon’s Lincoln. Along with their companion works, Herndon’s Informants and a forthcoming book on Herndon’s letters, Wilson and Davis have not only presented the classic book by Lincoln’s law partner, they’ve enhanced its value as a research tool. Herndon’s Lincoln is the subject of our Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia book club reading right now, so I’ll have more on this topic later.

I have plans for a major undertaking that I’ll discuss in the future, but for now I’ve appended the full list of 2013 acquisitions to the bottom of this post for those who want to take a look.

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

Here’s the list!

Anderson, Dwight G. Abraham Lincoln: The Quest for Immortality 1982
Barber, Lucius W. Army Memoirs of Lucius W. Barber, Company “D,” 15th Illinois Volunteer Infantrym May 24, 1861 to Sept. 30, 1865 1894
Berg, Scott W. 38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier’s End 2012
Boritt, Gabor The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows 2006
Boritt, Gabor S. (ed) The Lincoln Enigma: The Changing Faces of an American Icon 2001
Boothe, F. Norton Great Generals of the Civil War and Their Battles 1986
Bowman, John S. The Civil War Day By Day: An Illustrated Almanac of America’s Bloodiest War 1989
Brandt, Nat The Town That Started the Civil War 1990
Briggs, John Channing Lincoln’s Speeches Reconsidered 2005
Brown, William Wells The Negro in the American Rebellion: His Heroism and His Fidelity 1971
Brownstein, Elizabeth Smith If This House Could Talk 1999
Brownstein, Elizabeth Smith Lincoln’s Other White House: The Untold Story of the Man and His Presidency 2005
Bush, Bryan S. Lincoln and the Speeds: The Untol Story of a Devoted and Enduring Friendship 2008
Cannan, John The Crater: Burnside’s Assault on the Confederate Trenches, June 30, 1864 2002
Campbell, R. Thomas Gray Thunder: Exploits of the Confederate States Navy 1996
Catton, Bruce The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War 1960
Catton, Bruce The Army of the Potomac: Mr. Lincoln’s Army 1962
Catton, Bruce The Army of the Potomac: Glory Road 1952
Catton, Bruce The Army of the Potomac: A Stillness at Appomattox 1953
Catton, Bruce Gettysburg: The Final Fury 1974
Clinton, Catherine Mrs. Lincoln: A Life 2009
Cooling, Benjamin Franklin, III and Walton H. Owen, II Mr. Lincoln’s Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington 1988
Cornwell, Bernard Battle Flag 1995
Cromie, Alice A Tour Guide to the Civil War: The Complete State-by-State Guide to Battlegrounds, Landmarks, Museums, Relics, and Sites (3rd Edition, Revised) 1990
Davis, William C. Rebels & Yankees: The Commanders of the Civil War 1990
Delbanco, Andrew (Ed) The Portable Abraham Lincoln 1992
DeRose, Chris Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President 2013
Deutsch, Kenneth L. and Fornieri, Joseph R. (Eds) Lincoln’s American Dream: Clashing Political Perspectives 2005
Duffy, James P. Lincoln’s Admiral: The Civil War Campaigns of David Farragut 2006
Ecelbarger, Gary The Great Comeback: How Abraham Lincoln Beat the Odds to Win the 1860 Republican Nomination 2008
Eliot, Alexander Abraham Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography 1985
Eliot, Alexander Abraham Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography 1985
Epstein, Daniel Mark The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage 2008
Findley, Paul A. Lincoln: The Crucible of Congress 1979
Fletcher, George P. Our Secret Constitution: How Lincoln Redefined American Democracy 2001
Gary W. Gallagher (Ed) Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander 1989
Gary, Ralph Following in Lincoln’s Footsteps: A Complete Annotated Reference to Hundreds of Historical Sites Visited by Abraham Lincoln 2001
Halleck, Henry Wager Elements of Military Art and Science 1862
Hartwig, D. Scott To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 2012
Haythornthwaite, Philip Unforms of the Civil War in Color 1990
Henderson, G.F.R., C.B. Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War 1993
Henig, Gerald S. and Niderost, Eric Civil War Firsts: The Legacies of America’s Bloodiest Conflict 2001
Herndon, William H. and Weik, Jesse William Herndon’s Life of Lincoln 1943
Hicks, Brian and Kropf, Schuyler Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine 2002
Hirsch, David and Van Haften, Dan Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and the Structure of Reason 2012
Holzer, Harold Lincoln: President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861 2008
Holzer, Harold and the New York Historical Society The Civil War in 50 Objects 2013
Illinois Central Railroad Company Abraham Lincoln As Attorney for the Illinois Central Railroad Company 1905
Jahns, Patricia Matthew Fontaine Maury & Joseph Henry: Scientists of the Civil War 1961
Jahns, Patricia Joseph Henry: Father of American Electronics 1970
Jordan, Robert Paul The Civil War 1969
Keneally, Thomas Abraham Lincoln 2003
Knauer, Kelly (Ed) Abraham Lincoln An Illustrated History of His Life and Times 2012
Kostyal, K.M. Field of Battle: The Civil War Letters of Major Thomas J. Halsey 1996
Kushner, Tony Lincoln: The Screenplay 2012
Lachman, Charles The Last Lincolns: The Rise & Fall of a Great American Family 2008
Lamon, Ward H. The Life of Abraham Lincoln; From His Birth to his Inauguration as President (Illustrated Edition) 2013
Lee, Richard M. Mr. Lincoln’s City: An Illustrated Guide to the Civil War Sites of Washington 1981
Lehrman, Lewis E. Lincoln “by littles” 2013
Lewis, Lloyd The Assassination of Lincoln: History and Myth 1994
Lind, Michael What Lincoln Believed: The Values and Convictions of America’s Greatest President 2004
Livingston, Mary P. (Ed) A Civil War Marine at Sea: The Diary of Medal of Honor Recipient Miles M. Oviatt 1998
Logan, John A. The Great Conspiracy: Its Origin and History 1895
Long, E.B. with Barbara Long The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac: 1861-1865 1971
Lowry, Rich Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Railsplitter Save the American Dream – And How We Can Do It Again 2013
Marvel, William (ed) The Monitor Chronicles: One Sailor’s Account: Today’s Campaign to Recover the Civil War Wreck 2000
MCPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era 1988
McPherson, James M. The Negro’s Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union 1991
Menge, W. Springer and Shimrak, J. August The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm: A Chronicle of Daily Life in the Union Army 1864-1865 1989
Meredith, Roy Mr. Lincoln’s Camera Man: Mathew B. Brady 1974
Milton, George Fort Abraham Lincoln and the Fifth Column 1942
Mitgang, Herbert The Fiery Trial: A Life of Lincoln 1974
Mitgang, Herbert (ed) Abraham Lincoln: A Press Portrait 1971
Monaghan, Jay The Man Who Elected Lincoln 1956
Moore, Edward A. The Story of a Cannoneer Under Stonewall Jackson 1907
Morse, John T. On Becoming Abraham Lincoln: From the 1893 Biography 2008
Musicant, Ivan Divided Waters: The Naval History of the Civil War 1995
Neely, Mark E. Jr. The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America 1993
Nesbitt, Mark Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places of the Battlefield 1991
Nofi, Albert A. (Compiler) A Civil War Journal: A Fascinating Collection of Facts, Episodes & Anecdotes 1995
Prokopowicz, Gerald J. Did Lincoln Own Slaves? And Other Frequently Asked Questions About Abraham Lincoln 2008
Redkey, Edwin S. (Ed) A Grand Army of Black Men 1992
Sandburg, Carl Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years 1954
Sandburg, Carl Storm Over the Land: A Profile of the Civil War 1939, 1942
Schwartz, Gerald (Ed) A Woman Doctor’s Civil War: Esther Hill Hawks’ Diary 1984
Scripps, John Locke Vote Lincoln! The Presidential Campaign Biography of Abraham Lincoln, 1860 2010
Simson, Jay W. Naval Strategies of the Civil War: Confederate Innovations and Federal Opportunism 2001
Spiegel, Allen D. A. Lincoln: Esquire: A Shrewd, Sophisticated Lawyer in His Time 2002
Splaine, John A Companion to the Lincoln Douglas Debates 1994
Still, William N., Jr., Taylor, John M., and Delaney, Norman C. Raiders and Blockaders: The American Civil War Afloat 1998
Styple, William B. (Ed) Tell Me of Lincoln: Memories of Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War & Life in Old New York by James E. Kelly 2009
Swanson, James L. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer 2006
Tarbell, Ida M. The Life of Abraham Lincoln 1924
Wert, Jeffry D. The Sword of Lincoln: The Army of the Potomac 2005
Wideman, John C. Naval Warfare: Courage and Combat on the Water 1997
Wilson, Douglas L. Herndon’s Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln 1998
Winkler, H. Donald Lincoln’s Ladies: The Women in the Life of the Sixteenth President 2004
Wynalda, Stephen A. 366 Days in Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency: The Private, Political, and Military Decisions of America’s Greatest President 2010
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Book Review – [Abraham] Lincoln and the Tools of War by Robert V. Bruce

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Abraham LincolnAs I do research on Abraham Lincoln for a forthcoming book I periodically post reviews of some of the more interesting and relevant Lincoln scholarship. Which led me to this great book dating back to 1956 called Lincoln and the Tools of War by Robert V. Bruce.

This is a fascinating book. Bruce has done an excellent job documenting Lincoln’s interest in new weaponry and the trials and tribulations of outfitting the Union troops and navy during the Civil War.

The book uses two main characters as counterweights to that of Abraham Lincoln in the seemingly never ending search for weapons that would help the North defeat the South.  As the war came quickly, sufficient weapons were not available to outfit the hundreds of thousands of men who at first volunteered, and then were drafted, to fight. Captain (and later Admiral) Dahlgren ran the Washington Navy Yard and was often eager to test new guns, artillery, and “liquid fire.” At the same time, General Ripley was the foil, acting to slow the testing and implementation of new weapons. He ignored and turned away inventors who had discovered “the next best thing,” even as President Lincoln entertained and even took an active interest in testing and pushing the development of modern weapons to replace the old single shot muskets.

Bruce weaves an entertaining story as he documents what many don’t know, which is that Lincoln facilitated the process of replacing the muzzle-loading gun with breech-loading rifles. The breech-loading allowed speedier reloading with less danger and less jamming, while the rifling allowed greater distance and accuracy in firing. Lincoln helped get such guns as the “coffee mill gun” and other multishot guns that would eventually develop into what we know as “machine guns” into testing, and sometimes service.  He entertained and facilitated many inventors in the White House for such things as rockets, steam guns, liquid fire, explosive bullets, and new cannons. There even was a balloon air force, a submarine and, of course, the “iron clad” ships.

I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in Lincoln, the Civil War, or weaponry in general. Unlike many books this old, it was published as a Civil War Book Club edition so readers should be able to find it easily and for a reasonable price in the usual online used book databases.

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Did Abraham Lincoln have Dual Citizenship with the Republic of San Marino?

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Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. But in 1861, as the Civil War was threatening to split the country in two, Lincoln may have actually gained dual citizenship. Not only was he an American citizen, the Republic of San Marino granted him citizenship there as well.

For those who have never heard of San Marino, or thought it was merely a quaint Italian city, it actually is an independent country. An enclave nestled into Italy’s northeast, the tiny 24 square mile country claims to be the “oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world” (according to Wikipedia).

San Marino (from Wikipedia Commons)

Tiny as it is, San Marino apparently had a good marketing department when they decided to send a letter to the new President of the United States in 1861. Two recently discovered documents have now been provided to The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, a project “dedicated to identifying, imaging, transcribing, annotating, and publishing all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his entire lifetime (1809-1865).” According to the project:

The first of the two letters was sent to Lincoln by San Marino’s Regent Captains, the nation’s joint heads of state. In English and Italian, they said that as a “mark of high consideration and sincere fraternity” for the United States, citizenship in the Republic of San Marino had been conferred on Lincoln. They also acknowledged America’s “political griefs” and prayed that God would “grant you a peaceful solution.”

Well, how about that. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino conferred citizenship upon Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln even replied, again, as noted by the Papers project:

In his response dated May 7, 1861, Lincoln thanked the Council of San Marino “for the honor of citizenship” and assured them that “although your dominion is small, your State is nevertheless one of the most honored in all history.” He explained that the Civil War “involves the question whether a Representative republic, extended and aggrandized so much as to be safe against foreign enemies, can save itself from the dangers of domestic faction.”

“I have faith in a good result,” Lincoln assured them.

All of this goes to show that, despite thousands of books in print, there are still things to learn about Abraham Lincoln. I’ve discovered this myself as I’ve reviewed hundreds of letters and documents from the Library of Congress in preparation for a forthcoming book. I’ve even found quite a few interesting “connections” between Lincoln and my other favorite topic – Nikola Tesla. I’ll have more on those connections in a future post.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Book Review – [Abraham] Lincoln’s Lost Speech by Elwell Crissey

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Crissey Lincoln's Lost SpeechAbraham Lincoln once gave a speech that was so awe-inspiring that all the reporters there forgot to write it down. Sounds implausible, right? Ah, but it’s actually true.  Elwell Crissey takes us back to May 29, 1856 with “Lincoln’s Lost Speech: The Pivot of His Career.” And despite the little problem of not having a record of the actual speech, Crissey does a great job enlivening the whole event surrounding its presentation.

In 1856 Lincoln had been out of politics for several years following his one term as a US Congressman. He had made a comfortable law practice back in Springfield, Illinois, and it seemed his political career, once promising, had waned into a memory. And then came the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Act, which was introduced by his old friend and rival Stephen A. Douglas and became law in 1854, effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, thus opening up the west and north to the potential, and likely, spread of slavery. According to Lincoln, “the repeal of the Missouri Compromise aroused me again.”

And arouse him it did. Lincoln attended the convention in Bloomington, Illinois that started the Republican Party by pulling together old Whigs, Free Soilers, Abolitionists, Democrats and anyone else that found slavery to be abhorrent. At first calling themselves the Anti-Nebraska party, many politicians and other dignitaries stirred each other to action. At first not on the speaking schedule, friends cajoled Lincoln into speaking at 5:30 pm after the convention was officially closed. Expecting a light-hearted finish to the day, Lincoln surprised everyone with a powerful and passionate speech vehemently decrying slavery.  According to all accounts, Lincoln startled the 1500 attendees by building up a fervent and animated chastisement of the Kansas-Nebraska act and warning that slavery must not be allowed to split the Union, and surely it would be split if slavery were to spread further into free territory. The usual adjectives applied to Lincoln…”silent” “taciturn” “reserved” “reticent”…were replaced by “blazing” “wrath” “maddened.”

Many of the attendees agreed on one line, “We will say to the Southern Disunionists, We won’t go out of the Union, and you SHAN’T,” offered passionately near the end of his 90-minute speech.

But that’s about all that everyone could agree on. Lincoln’s speech was so unexpected and so impassioned that everyone including the journalists were enthralled to the point of forgetting to take notes. So no verifiable record of his entire speech exists. One supposed verbatim transcription published 40 years later has been largely written off as fantasy. A few reports of the gist of the speech came from those who attended (which included the grandfather of the book’s author).

One thing on which all can agree is that the speech changed Lincoln’s life and helped vault the Republican Party from its nascent state into adulthood. It reinvigorated Lincoln’s political career – he received 110 votes on the first ballot to be the Vice-Presidential candidate just 2 months later. It helped leap him into contention for the Senate race against Stephen A. Douglas in 1858 and eventually, in 1860, the first Republican president of the United States.

Crissey’s book provides great insight into the state of the political debate over slavery during the decade leading up to the Civil War, and speculates as to what Lincoln actually said and the people who were present to hear him. The book dates back to 1967, but the writing is fluid and entertaining, and the information presented about this critical period in time is priceless.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores. He is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln.

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Book Review – Lincoln at Cooper Union by Harold Holzer

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Harold Holzer Lincoln at Cooper UnionOne would think the book’s subtitle “The speech that made Abraham Lincoln President,” would set up an unattainable expectation of greatness.  After all, how could a book hold a candle to a great speech?  Or perhaps the speech wasn’t so great after all and the author merely wanted to sell more books.  And yet, I was wonderfully surprised to see that this really was an exceptional book about an exceptional speech.

Harold Holzer is a world renowned expert on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.  He has won several awards for the numerous books he has authored, co-authored, edited or co-edited on this the most widely studied President in our history.  Holzer takes us back to February 1860, a few months before the convention that would nominate Abraham Lincoln on the Republican ticket for President.  He examines the opportunity given to Lincoln to speak in New York City, where powerful men like Horace Greeley are looking to put forth an alternative to New York’s favorite son, William Seward.  Through the negotiations of when and where – and the ultimate surprise upon arrival to find the location had been moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan – Holzer shows a remarkable ability to build tension and anticipation leading to the actual speech itself.  He gives us a taste of a time, that in the days before movies and television and 24-hour internet, men were drawn to great speakers, especially of the political variety.

And a great speech it was.  With several chapters leading up to the speech, Holzer helps us see the intricate research and effort Lincoln exerted over several months to preparing what he felt, presciently so, was to be the most important speech in his life.  One chapter is assigned the duty of parsing the intricate language of this 90-minute magnum opus.  As Holzer so captivatingly relates, the speech consists of three main sections: the first a historical accounting of the founder’s beliefs regarding slavery.  Lincoln takes a line from a speech given by his long-time rival from Illinois, Senator Stephen Douglas, in which he says “Our fathers, when they framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now.”  With these words repeated over and over in his speech at Cooper Union, Lincoln cleverly recounts the votes that in toto demonstrate convincingly that the founders of our country believed that the federal government did, in fact, have the right and the obligation to restrict the spread of slavery into the new territories.  In the second section, Lincoln addresses himself directly to “the Southern people,” whom he knows will not hear his speech, all while cleverly speaking to northern Republicans whose support he needs.  The third, and shortest section, asserts that Republicans cannot relinquish their principle that slavery is wrong just to placate the South, and ends with his now famous line: “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

I read the full speech in the appendix before reading the rest of the book, then again – this time out loud, as if giving it myself – after finishing the chapter explaining its significance.  While the speech as read is superb in itself, it is when spoken out loud as an oration that it gains its ultimate power.  Holzer has captured this masterpiece with his own masterpiece.  This book is a must read for anyone interested in Abraham Lincoln, history, or simply the power of a well prepared speech.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Book Review – Vote Lincoln! by John Locke Scripps

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Vote Lincoln!Vote Lincoln! The Presidential Campaign Biography of Abraham Lincoln is a 2010 annotated version of the first full biography of Abraham Lincoln published in 1860. Ostensibly written by John Locke Scripps, publisher of what would become the Chicago Tribune, much of the text was actually ghost written by Abraham Lincoln himself. Intended as a campaign biography, the book provides a revealing look at how Lincoln viewed his own life to that point.

The current edition is wonderfully annotated by David W. Bradford. Included as an appendix is the actual text prepared by Lincoln and sent to Scripps, so we can see exactly where Scripps took Lincoln’s words verbatim and where he added significant additional material. At key points Bradford interjects with clarifying brackets and also adds longer pieces to explain the history of the statements and the rationale for their inclusion.

Beginning as most biographies do with his early life, we hear from the only man that knows his most early upbringing and that of his ancestors – Abraham Lincoln himself. Scripps and Lincoln take us through his formative years in Illinois, his river boat and flat boat adventures, and adult life in Illinois. Featured are his work as an attorney, his time in the Illinois legislature, and his one term in the U.S. Congress. His politically exciting bids for the Senate and famous debates with Stephen A. Douglas get substantial discussion and insight.

This campaign biography is invaluable as a guide to Abraham Lincoln from his early years up to his election as president. The fact that much of the information secretly comes from Lincoln himself offers delightful insights into the man. Bradford’s informative annotations make this current edition even more valuable than the original text. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Lincoln.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Douglas L. Wilson and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

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This year marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. On October 22nd Lincoln scholar Douglas L. Wilson delved into the address during his visit with the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia (LGDC). Wilson is the co-Director of Knox College Lincoln Studies Center located in Galesburg, Illinois, site of one of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. It was a great event. Even CSPAN was there.

Douglas L. Wilson

While we are all familiar with the Gettysburg Address – most of us probably had to memorize the “Four score and seven years ago” speech in high school – most people don’t know that there are five versions written in Lincoln’s hand. And they aren’t all the same. Remember that there were no photocopying machines in 1863 so Lincoln actually had to write out each copy with pen and ink. [Read more about the various copies here]

One major difference that Douglas talked about is a sentence that was in the Nicolay version – believed to be the earliest draft – and all of the other versions. The Nicolay version includes the following line:

“This we may, in all propriety do.”

Hmmm, not very inspiring, is it. Luckily for posterity Lincoln removed the sentence and replaced it with the more familiar:

“It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”

Much better.

Some have argued that the Nicolay copy is the version that Lincoln read from when delivering the address on November 19, 1863. Wilson notes that this is unlikely because of the above and a few other changes. The Hay version more closely tracks the two supposedly verbatim transcriptions of the address taken by reporters at the time of the speech. The other copies were made at the request of Edward Everett (the actual keynote speaker at Gettysburg), George Bancroft, and Col. Alexander Bliss. There are only minor differences in these copies. The Bliss copy currently resides in the White House while the Nicolay and Hay copies are at the Library of Congress.

loc gettysburg address

Wilson offered many other insights into the Gettysburg Address and took many questions from the Lincoln Group attendees. Prior to dinner Wilson signed three of his books that I had brought from my collection. One of his books, edited along with Rodney O. Davis (his co-Director at the Lincoln Studies Center), is Herndon’s Lincoln, an updated and annotated version of the book William H. Herndon, Lincoln’s law partner, had published in 1889). I have a first edition of Herndon’s three-volume set, but Wilson and Davis’ annotated version is much more valuable as a research tool. Often I’ll read a story that Herndon’s informants had told him about Lincoln’s past, only to find out in the notes that the story may not actually be supported by fact. It is this kind of scholarly work that makes study of Abraham Lincoln so fruitful, even after the 15,000 volumes on the man that are estimated to exist.

Herndon's Lincoln signed

I highly recommend Douglas L. Wilson‘s other books as well, Herndon’s Informants, Honor’s Voice, and Lincoln’s Sword. Thanks to Wilson and the LGDC, I not only have more insight into the Gettysburg Address, I have three new signatures in books on my shelves.

The full Douglas L. Wilson presentation at the Lincoln Group of DC is now available on C-SPAN.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Book Review – Lincoln “by littles” by Lewis E. Lehrman (2013)

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Lincoln "by littles" by Lewis E. LehrmanPeriodically on this site I provide reviews of books about Abraham Lincoln. This is a review of Lincoln “by littles” by Lewis E. Lehrman, published by The Lehrman Institute in 2013.

The title of this book has a double meaning. “By littles” was how Abraham Lincoln described his formal education, which taken in short bits totaled no more than a year. “By littles” also describes the general format of the book, which is a series of independent essays grouped by topic into eleven parts containing a total of fifty-two chapters. Some of the essays are identified as having been previously published by the author in various newspapers over the course of the last decade or so (though at least a couple go back to 1995). Others appear to be previously unpublished or newly written. In keeping with the “by littles” theme, each is generally only a few pages or so long.

Because each essay/chapter was independently written there is considerable repetitiveness and overlap. There is also the ubiquitous mention of Lincoln’s October 16, 1854 speech in Peoria, Illinois. This isn’t surprising both because the speech was a turning point in Lincoln’s views on the expansion of slavery and because the author, Lewis E. Lehrman, wrote a previous book on that speech and is thus an expert historian on it.

Overall the essays, despite the repetition, are well written and informative. Lehrman helps us understand Lincoln’s views on education, economics, secession, and other topics, while also giving us a deeper understanding of his core principles and belief in the equality of man as espoused in the Declaration of Independence. We get a sense also of Lincoln’s political guile and methods of persuasion, skills that helped him keep the Union together during the most crucial time in our history.

For those not knowing much about Lincoln this book provides a comfortable way to gain insights into our sixteenth president. For those who know a lot about Lincoln, the essays make for an entertaining review of key principles and events. You might even learn a few things. I certainly did.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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How are Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla Connected?

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I’ve been a part time scholar of Abraham Lincoln for most of my life. And I’ve written a book on Nikola Tesla. Now it seems the two men are connected in many ways.

How can that be? After all, Nikola Tesla was born in 1856, so he was only 9-years-old when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Oh, and Tesla was born of Serbian heritage in an area that is now part of Croatia. He didn’t even make it to the United States until 1884 – almost a score years after “now he belongs to the ages” was uttered. So how could they possibly be connected?

I’ve actually come across at least a half dozen connections. I’ve already mentioned one of them on this site before. Thomas Edison, Tesla’s archrival in the war of the currents, was a big fan of “the life and character of Abraham Lincoln.”

My most recent discovery happened when I was the Library of Congress (LOC) obtaining my “Readers ID,” which is required of all scholarly researchers who want to actually touch the old letters and manuscripts. In the Thomas Jefferson building, one of three massive edifices that make up the Library of Congress, is a mural by Edwin Howland Blashfield. Circling the main reading room way up in the dome, the mural depicts about a dozen countries or regions and contributions they have made to society. Gazing upward you see this:

Abraham Lincoln LOC main reading room

Zooming in to the “one o’clock” position of the above you can see someone very familiar:

Abraham Lincoln LOC close up

According to the LOC’s Lincoln and Civil War expert Michelle Krowl, and quoting from the book On These Walls: Inscriptions & Quotations in the Library of Congress:

“America is represented by the field of science. The figure, an engineer whose face was modeled on that of Abraham Lincoln, sits pondering a problem. In front of him is an electric dynamo, representing the American contribution to advances in harnessing electricity.”

Well how about that? The visage of Abraham Lincoln is used to epitomize America, and our contribution to society is science, depicted by an electric dynamo harnessing electricity, something that Nikola Tesla was in the forefront of bringing to the American public.

How cool is that?

These are just two of several connections between Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla. I’m compiling these for an article I plan to submit this fall. Keep coming back for updates and more connections.

Meanwhile, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity continues to sell out the remainder of the stock in Barnes and Noble stores. Be sure to ask for it if you don’t see it on the shelves (some stores are down to their last copy). Of course, you can always buy a signed and inscribed copy directly from me on this website.

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William Seward and Walter Stahr – Double Signed

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William Henry Seward was Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of State. Everyone knows that. Seward also bought Alaska (aka, “Seward’s Folly”). Many people know that. But Seward also was one of Lincoln’s biggest rivals, then became one of his closest friends. And as author Walter Stahr reminds us, Seward was Lincoln’s Indispensable Man.

The latter is the subtitle to Stahr’s biography called, simply, Seward. Stahr traces Seward’s rise as “progressive governor of New York, outspoken federal senator, odds-on favorite to win the 1860 Republican nomination, secretary of state during the Civil War and its aftermath, Lincoln’s closest friend and adviser, target of the assassins who killed Lincoln, purchaser of Alaska, early architect of America’s empire.”

If that sounds like a lot, it is. Arguably Lincoln might have lost the nation before he even started his presidency if Seward hadn’t been enlisted to help glue together a country that was in the process of tearing itself apart. Luckily for the country, William Seward was there. And luckily for me, Walter Stahr was the guest speaker at our monthly Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia dinner.

Walter Stahr at Lincoln Group of DC

I had a chance to talk briefly with Stahr prior to his talk. He clearly knows his stuff. He spent about five years researching Seward for the book, just as he had for his previous book about founding father John Jay. Speaking to a roomful of Lincoln scholars (who know a thing or two about William Seward), Stahr provided us with some fascinating insights that made many of us want to learn more. We all gained immensely from his knowledge.

I also gained a bit of a red face. I had brought my copy of Seward to have Stahr autograph it, which he gladly proceeded to do. Only to find that he already had. Ugh. It was then that I realized I had ordered the book directly from the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago. The ALBS has a fantastic feature in which you can order online and then watch the author sign the book for you via live-streamed video. He signed it specifically to me at the time. Ah, but as you can see in the photo below, Stahr graciously covered my embarrassment by signing the book again, in person. 🙂

Seward by Walter Stahr

In the end I got a two-fer. A fantastic lecture by a distinguished author and scholar, and a double-signed book to add to my collection. Not a bad deal at all.

More about Walter Stahr. View his talk at the 2013 Library of Congress Book Festival.

More about the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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