Community Chat

[Oznell]

Everything about Abraham Lincoln is so fascinating.  He was a singular personality, brilliant and gifted, tragic but noble.

A few facts below that I find so interesting about him, as the Civil War came to a close, his major work was done, and he would soon leave the scene:

1).  The fact that he had recurring dreams before the assassination that portended some dreadful end.  His friend and U.S. Marshall, Ward Hill Lamon, said that three days beforehand, Lincoln related a dream to him in which he heard mournful sounds at night, followed them to a room in which lay a catafalque with his body lying in it.

Some said he later softened the horror of it, by telling others the person in the coffin wasn't really him....

But the morning of his assassination, he related to his Cabinet a recurring dream that he had just had again, in which he was on a clipper ship heading at great speed to a dark shore, which made them uneasy...

The dream had occurred, he said, every time some major event was about to befall him, such as huge developments in the Civil War.

We're so lucky that photography by the 1860's was up to the task of conveying to us that remarkable face and force of personality....

2).  It's widely known that his two favorite books were the Bible ( esp. Psalms) and apparently, all of Shakespeare.  He was mad about Shakespeare plays and the theater in general, and therefore, had seen his future assassin, John Wilkes Booth, perform on a number of occasions.

Lincoln adored "Macbeth",  and a few days before he died, he had regaled a captive audience with his reading of a scene in which Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are agonizing together.

3) The seething and hateful actor, John Wilkes  Booth, attended both the occasion of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and also, his second Inaugural.

John Wilkes Booth was dashing, but vile and poisonous.

He even said that he could easily have attacked Lincoln at the Inaugural, had he wanted to. 

And a remarkable photo of the event, showing both where Booth was standing, and where the President was standing, seems to indicate that he could have:

( Booth is standing within the top circle, and Lincoln is giving his speech in the circle below it.)

 4). The Booths and Lincolns were entwined in another way.  Probably in early 1865,  Lincoln's son Robert was boarding a train in Jersey City;  his foot slipped, and he was grabbed and saved from being crushed by--  John Wilkes Booth's brother, Edwin Booth!   Edwin Booth was a much more sane individual than his brother, but he was also a famous actor, and Robert Lincoln recognized him and thanked him for saving his life!

It is said that this act of saving Lincoln's son gave Edwin Booth some comfort, after such shame was brought upon his family with his brother's terrible actions.

There are so many extraordinary facts and odd or eerie coincidences associated with the end of Lincoln's illustrious life, they could never be all recounted.

Does anyone here have a favorite fact or anecdote about Lincoln that you'd care to share?  Love to hear!

[rms1954]

My father was so enamoured by President Lincoln.  He would study his life and write down interesting facts ... he kept a journal.  Unfortunately when he passed my sisters threw out all of the historical memorabilia he collected.  They felt it was of little importance (at least to them.)  I was heartbroken.  

[SharkE]

Seems like I read where John Wilkes Booth's brother saved Lincoln's son.

They were all waiting for a train had something to do with railroad tracks.  Lincoln's son was playing on the tracks and this Booth man pulled him back real fast.

This happened before the killing.

[SharkE]

Yikes ! just now read the prior post about this happening.

QVC won't let me delete nothing.   Anyway, glad I didn't imagine it. 

[monicakm]

 Fascinating.  Thanks so much @Oznell 

[Malibulove]

@SharkE  

Did you not read @Oznell entire comment? 

[shoekitty]

@Oznell  thank you once again for such interesting information!!!  He was quite a figure.  And so darn good looking as well. It is said he had Marian's disease  or another endoctrine disease , that altered his appearance as he got older.  But who doesn't get old in the White House. The elected President moves into the White House, and 8 years later you can see the aging. 

[SharkE]

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@Malibulove wrote:

@SharkE  

Did you not read @Oznell entire comment? 

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Yes, did U not read message 4 ?

[MJDinVegas]

Hi, @Oznell !  I'm touched by Lincoln's soulful eyes in the first portrait-clearly carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.  

My husband and I lived for a time in Front Royal, VA, for my job and we were intrigued by the history of the area.  Before my husband moved out in 2006, I attended a function at the Courthouse in Winchester, Va.  people were dressed in period dress and it was on Lincoln's birthday.  I was told by locals that if I wanted to see a real party, come back on Robert E. Lee's birthday!  

My office looked out on the Cedar Creek Battlefield which took place near Belle Grove plantation.  

So much history around us in a short drive-Antietam, Gettysburg.  A very memorable 4 years of my life.

Thank you for posting!

[Love my grandkids]

@Oznell And Abraham Lincoln had Marfan's syndrome. Very interesting if you read up on it.