Search Results: abraham lincoln

Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860.

1836. No binding. Fine. Autograph Letter Signed, to Mary S. Owens, December 13, 1836, 2 pp., 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. ""Write back as soon as you get this, and if possible say something that will please me, for really I have not been pleased since I left you.""Here, Lincoln perfectly demonstrates what Owens later described as deficiencies ""in those little links which make up the chain of a woman's happiness."" Rather than expressing his feelings for Owens, Lincoln complains about his health and discusses political issues swirling in the Illinois General Assembly. Although inept at love, the letter offers rare insight into the young representative's thoughts on a variety of political issues. In this highly important letter to Mary Owens, a self-absorbed Lincoln complains to his potential spouse of his health, both physical and mental, and discusses political issues to the point that he describes his own letter as ""dry and stupid."" Perhaps more revealing than he realized, it illustrates the tension in… Read More

02/03/1864. Abraham Lincoln Lincoln donated this famous letter and its message to a Sanitary Fair, while praising the women for the work ""you are so patriotically employing"" to raise funds for his sick and wounded troops An extremely rare written mention of his all-known empathy and concern for the suffering and gallant soldiers of the Union The “Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln” show that Lincoln specifically mentioned “suffering soldiers” just four times during his presidency; this is one of those four mentions Lincoln’s compassion and mercy are central to his legacy, and the picture that has come down to us envisions him as a man who was generous of spirit. From the start of the Civil War, Lincoln felt the weight of the sacrifice that so many families were making for the Union, and he saw that tens and then hundreds of thousands of men – sons, husbands, and brothers – were dying. He was not anxious for any additional lives to be taken. HeThe United States Sanitary… Read More

Montauk, Montauk Navy Yard, Wash D.C., 1865. 4pp. 8vo. Slight soiling and minor tears along old folds, otherwise in very good condition. 4pp. 8vo. The Surgeon of the 'Montauk' Gives an Eye-Witnesses Account. ...About 10:25 P.M. a man came in and walked slowly along the side ... A remarkably clear and dramatic eyewitness account of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln from a naval surgeon who was close to the President's box at Ford's theater on that fateful night of April 14, 1865. In this letter to his brother written the night after the assassination, while the details were still fresh in his memory, Dr. George B. Todd, surgeon aboard the U.S. "Montauk" at anchor in the Navy Yard that day, recounts the terrible event with a clarity of observation one might expect of his profession - a rarity among confused eyewitness accounts. The text of Todd's letter - one of only 7 eyewitness accounts written within 24 hours of the assassination - reads: "The few hours that have intervened since that most… Read More

31/05/1863. Abraham Lincoln In a remarkable statement articulating this, Lincoln writes: ""I esteem Gov. Francis Thomas, as an able, and very true man. I do not know that he agrees with me in everything—perhaps he does not; but he has given me evidence of sincere friendship, & as I think, of patriotism."" Reference for research, publication, and institutions: Raab L13.060Lincoln’s essential philosophy was to put personal feelings aside for the sake of the country. He built his famed Team of Rivals on that premise, selecting his political opponents to serve in his Cabinet. In 1862, he named Edwin M. Stanton to be Secretary of War, despite Stanton having called him “the original gorilla”, and blamed the reverses in the war to date to “the imbecility of this administration,” because he saw Stanton as competent and up to the job. He allowed General George B. McClellan to treat him rudely, so long as there was hope he would bring the country victories. It takes a great man and… Read More

Washington, D.C.: War Department, Adjutant General's Office, 1864-1869. Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, the country's greatest moral, cultural, constitutional, and political crisis, and in doing so preserved the Union of the United States of America, abolished slavery, and strengthened the federal government. Lincoln ran for President in 1860, sweeping the North in victory. The South was outraged by Lincoln's election, and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March 1861. War began in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, just over a month after Lincoln's inauguration and, after years of deadly military conflict, officially ended on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of… Read More

Perhaps the most delightful of the Lincoln family photographs, this portrait shows an impish Tad leaning on a table as his seemingly bemused father sits on Gardner's studio chair. Thomas "Tad" Lincoln was the youngest of the Lincoln boys.
Abraham Lincoln, an indulgent father, let his children run wild at his law offices and at the White House. His law partner William H. Herndon recounted, "I have felt many and many a time that I wanted to wring their little necks, and yet out of respect for Lincoln I kept my mouth shut. Lincoln did not note what his children were doing or had done."
Lincoln sat for this portrait at Alexander Gardner's studio on February 5, 1865. Just a month later he delivered the Second Inaugural Address, and within weeks he was assassinated. It would be his final sitting for Gardner, who made five poses that day. This fine portrait does not show the heavy retouching evident in later prints
By this date the end of the Civil War seemed to be drawing near. The war years… Read More

01/09/1863. Abraham Lincoln A powerful letter showing Lincoln's direct involvement with the chief judicial military officer, showing the merciful Lincoln at work, and showing his prioritizing retaining experienced veterans in the serviceThe Judge Advocate General of the United States Army is the senior officer of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army. The position was abolished but then reinstated in 1849. In 1862, Lincoln appointed his first Judge Advocate General, Joseph Holt, only the second since 1783. He named Joseph Holt. Holt joined the Army as a colonel in 1862. As Judge Advocate General of the Army, Holt oversaw the expansion of military law to include the military prosecutions of citizens who were not in the military service. By the time he joined the Army, he believed that the only means to prevent treason from occurring again was to ensure that slavery was abolished for all time, and eventually equal treatment under the law enforced in the South.At the beginning of… Read More

11/04/1865. Abraham Lincoln For generations in a private collection and not known to have survivedhttps://vimeo.com/913105879?share=copy On April 9, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was paying a visit to Secretary of State William H. Seward when Secretary of War Edwin Stanton burst in with the news: Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army earlier that day, essentially ending the bloodiest conflict in American history.The following morning, April 10, after Stanton jolted the region awake with a 500-gun salute at dawn, the populace of Washington, D.C. took to the streets in celebration. A crowd of several thousand gathered outside the White House, clamoring for the President before he finally appeared in the second-story window to acknowledge their presence. Revealing that he planned to formally address the occasion in due time, Lincoln noted that he was particularly fond of the song ""Dixie,"" the anthem of the South, and asked the band assembled to… Read More

21/03/1864. Abraham Lincoln “If there is on file a request of Gen. Meigs, that William Alexander may be appointed an Assistant Quarter-Master, with the rank of Captain, let him be appointed.” There is no record of the appointment having been made, with speculation being that Lincoln possibly sent the appointment to Stanton to die there Lincoln had the rare quality of not taking opposition personally. During the Civil War, he was vilified more than any other public figure in American history, yet saw the issues as so great that they transcended any personal aspect. He bore no resentments because, as he said, he “never thought it paid.” He appointed men to high office because he perceived that they would be useful to the war effort. When Gen. George B. McClellan was insufferably rude to him, he was willing to suffer the personal indignity if only McClellan would win. His most important civilian appointment shows this management principal in operation. Edwin Stanton had met Lincoln… Read More

23/04/1864. Abraham Lincoln A search of public sale records going back 40 years fails to turn up even one other example of this documentAfter the firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, enthusiasm for enlisting in military service swept through both the North and South. In remarkable speed two large volunteer armies were created. Except for a tiny number of professional soldiers, all expected to be in service for a brief term. Not just soldiers but the public and political leaders had fooled themselves about the war's likely duration. However, the patriotic hope on each side that the war would be over in a matter of weeks or months was dashed in the first battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. By late 1862, no sensible person believed that an early end to the bloody strife was possible, and the knowledgeable expected peace to be far off in the future. Facing a protracted war, maintaining a sufficiently sizable army became the greatest problem facing both Union leader Abraham Lincoln and Confederate… Read More

Springfield, IL, 1849. Rare autograph letter signed by and entirely in the hand of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. One page, the letter reads in full, "Springfield May 7, 1849 Hon G. W. Rives Dear Sir, You overrate my capacity to serve you. Not one man recommended by me has yet been appointed to any thing, little or big, except a few who had no opposition. Besides this, at the very inauguration I commenced trying to get a Min[n]esota appointment for Dr. Henry, and have not yet succeeded; and I would not now, lessen his chance, by recommending any living man for any thing in that Territory. It is my recollection that you sent me an application to be P.M. at Paris. Am I mistaken? Very truly yours A. Lincoln." Over a decade prior to his election as the 16th President of the United States in 1861, Lincoln served a single term in the House of Representatives between 1847 and 1849. A self-professed 'old line Whig', he was assigned to the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads and… Read More

Washington, D.C., April 1861.. [1]p. on a folded folio sheet of "Thirty- Sixth Congress House of Representatives" illustrated letterhead. Plus integral blank, docketed and with a four-line note in an unknown hand on the fourth page, as well as Lincoln's signature and five-line autograph endorsement. Two old horizontal folds. One small nick to right edge of both leaves, small contemporary ink stains. Near fine. An excellent Lincoln signature and autograph endorsement from the earliest days of the Civil War, on an interesting letter relating the efforts to keep the U.S.S. Constitution from falling into Confederate hands. Commander Timothy Monroe of the 8th Massachusetts Militia Regiment writes President Lincoln on a piece of House Representatives letterhead, with a manuscript date of "April, 1861." Monroe relates "that the troops under his command, have by the most severe labor, in rescuing the Frigate Constitution from the hands of the secessionists, and by repairing the Rail Road from Anapolis… Read More

Mammoth albumen print (17 ½ x 22 in), mounted, oval gilt-rule mat. Retouched vignetted enlargement. A few spots, some toning. Very good condition.
This famous "Gettysburg portrait," with Lincoln looking directly into the camera, was made just days before he delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
A giant of American photography, Alexander Gardner is credited with introducing the large-format Imperial portrait to the United States while working as a staff photographer for Mathew Brady. Gardner left Brady's employ in early 1863, and his studio quickly rivaled Brady's for the quality and extent of its war and portrait photography. Gardner first photographed Lincoln as president-elect while working for Brady, and he went on to take Lincoln's portrait more than any other photographer.
Lincoln sat for Gardner on several occasions, usually visiting his studio on Sunday to avoid crowds. Lincoln sat for this splendid portrait on Sunday, November 8, 1863. His private secretaries John Hay and… Read More

23/03/1865. Abraham Lincoln We obtained this directly from the Easton descendants and it has never before been offered for saleLangdon C. Easton graduated at the U. S. Military Academy in 1838. He served in the Florida and Mexican wars, and during the Civil War. He was Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Cumberland from December 1863, until May 1864, and of the armies commanded by Major General William T. Sherman from May 4, 1864, until the war’s end, being present during the operations of the campaign from Chattanooga to the taking of Atlanta, and subsequently at the capture of Savannah. On the march from the latter city to Goldsborough, NC, and thence to Washington, DC, via Raleigh and Richmond, General Easton acted in the same capacity. During the war he was brevetted major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general, ""for distinguished and important service in the quartermaster's department in the campaign terminating in the capture of Atlanta, Georgia,"" and major general, March… Read More

21/02/1863. Abraham Lincoln Perhaps the most significant naval appointment signed by Lincoln we have carried in all these yearsEdward Donaldson, an Annapolis graduate, received his commission as lieutenant in the Navy in October 1847, and was connected with the ships Dolphin, Water Witch, the Merrimac, and the San Jacinto. During 1861, after the outbreak of the Civil War, he commanded the gun boat Sciota and took part in the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the subsequent capture of New Orleans. He participated in the passage of the Vicksburg batteries, and was made Commander in July 1862. He was transferred to the Keystone State as executive officer during its trip to the West Indies in search of the Confederate cruiser Sumter, and was her commander in 1863–1864.During the crucial Battle of Mobile Bay, on August 5, 1864, he commanded the Seminole and rendered efficient service by his coolness and judgment in piloting his vessel while passing Fort Morgan. The war over, Donaldson was… Read More

22/04/1864. Abraham Lincoln President Lincoln called a Cabinet meeting on April 22, 1864. The Diary of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles indicates “Cabinet meets. Secs. Seward, Chase, and Stanton absent.” Also on that day, the President approved a bill placing the inscription ""In God We Trust"" on coins. This was first used on 2-cent pieces. That day he also discussed some promotions to general forwarded by Stanton. The meeting’s purpose might have been to discuss the change in coinage or the promotions.Autograph note signed, Washington, April 22, 1864, to Secretary of State William Seward. “Hon. Sec. of State, please call and see me at 9 this morning. A. Lincoln.” As Sec. of the Navy later complained, Seward was not present. It would be interesting to know why Seward could not make the meeting.Seward and Stanton looked on the State and War Departments as their fiefdoms, and Lincoln had to be careful about how he dealt with matters touching on those departments. Various letters and notes shows… Read More

05/02/1862. Abraham Lincoln|Edwin Stanton William H. Harrison fought in scores of engagements, was promoted three times, and cited for meritorious service at the Battle of WinchesterThe 2nd Regiment U.S. Cavalry was one of the great fighting regiments of the Civil War, and was attached to the Army of the Potomac. At the beginning of the year 1861 the regiment was in Texas and under the command of Lt. Colonel Robert E. Lee. Lee want back to Virginia, and on to fame. The unit went North. It fought in numerous battles, including the Peninsular Campaign, the Siege of Yorktown, Second Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam and aftermath at Winchester, the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the Chancellorsville Campaign where they were engaged at Brandy Station and were also present during the Stoneman Raid. This raid is regarded as the ""resurgence of the Union Cavalry."" During the Battle of Kelly’s Ford, the 2nd Cavalry became the first Union cavalry regiment to engage Confederate General JEB Stuart’s cavalry… Read More

April 21, 1864. American naval commission signed by Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and Gideon Welles as Secretary of the Navy. Folio, partially engraved on vellum the document is dated April 21, 1864 and promotes Charles W. Tracy to the rank of Lieutenant. In near fine condition. Matted and framed with a portrait of Lincoln and engraved plate. The Commission measures 19 inches by 16 inches. The entire piece measures 34 inches by 29.5 inches. Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, the country's greatest moral, cultural, constitutional, and political crisis, and in doing so preserved the Union of the United States of America, abolished slavery, and strengthened the federal government. Lincoln ran for President in 1860, sweeping the North in victory. The South was outraged by Lincoln's election, and in response secessionists implemented… Read More

22/12/1863. Abraham Lincoln From the start of the Civil War in America, Russia sought to expand its influence in the United States. It expressed total support for Abraham Lincoln’s government, claiming that it was the only legitimate authority on U.S. soil. “Russia desires above all the maintenance of the American Union as one indivisible nation,” Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov wrote in 1862 to Bayard Taylor, secretary of the U.S. embassy in St. Petersburg.Russia’s role in the Civil War was more palpable than just expressing diplomatic support. In September 1863, a Russian fleet of six warships headed to the East coast of North America and stayed there for seven months. Based in New York, they patrolled the surrounding area. A similar thing occurred in the West coast where a fleet of six warships was based in San Francisco. This helped to prevent sudden attacks of Southern raiders on these crucial Union port cities. Both the citizens and the government of the Union gave a warm welcome… Read More