The Lincoln Photo Album

Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States at a time in our history when we needed a man like him. However, as we reflect on Lincoln as possibly the best President, when he was elected many people protested and in New York City there were riots in the streets. Lincoln actually had to sneak into Washington, DC when he arrived there. A decoy train was sent in at the time announced but, in reality, Lincoln had arrived earlier in the day on another train. But Lincoln would prove a beneficial political figure so much that he would be re-elected to a second term. But fate would cut that term very short. On April 14, 1865, as Lincoln could relax a bit because the war between the states was finally over, he agreed to go to Ford's Theater as a favor to his wife to see the famous play, "Our American Cousin". It would be the last event of his life. As he watched the performance on the stage that night, a disgruntled southerner named John Wilkes Booth managed to gain entry to the Presidential box and shot Lincoln in the back of the head. The President would die early the next morning on April 15.
Many photographs were taken of Lincoln and the war. People like Matthew Brady took their cameras right into the battles. Plus Brady had a studio in Washington not far from the White House. The pictures on this blog are not rare but aren't seen too often. They show a side of Lincoln that few really knew.

Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln. Lincoln's Step-Mother. She was the best thing that ever happened to Abe. He adored her. Lincoln said that it was Sarah that was responsible for his becoming a lawyer and probably president. She saw good things in his future and ordered Thomas to allow him to finely go to school. And even though Sarah herself could not read or write, she bought and/or borrowed books for Abe to study. She was determined that he would break out of the poverty that they had been living in. Sarah always remarked how proud she was of Abe.

Lincoln Funeral Broadside

Mud Circuit Desk

Many of Lincoln’s cases were in central Illinois’ Fourteenth Circuit—known as the “mud circuit” for its poor roads. Stopping at county seats, the circuit judge and a traveling band of lawyers would quickly handle pending cases and disputes and then move on to the next town. Lincoln loved the circuit, the camaraderie, and the courtroom sparring. This wooden desk is from the courthouse in Pekin, Illinois. Lincoln and his fellow circuit lawyers shared the work space as they prepared their cases. Most of the desk is not original—only the top rail survives from Lincoln’s time. Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois purchased this desk for 10 dollars. As Republican minority leader, Dirksen played a crucial role in helping to write and pass civil rights legislation of the 1960s. It is likely he did some of this work on the same desk once used by Abraham Lincoln. After the senator’s death, Mrs. Dirksen donated the desk to the Smithsonian in 1970. “It was his pride and joy. . . ,” she wrote. “When he was at home in Pekin, instead of Washington, he would take his work upstairs to his Lincoln desk every evening after supper, rather than working in his downstairs study.”

Lincoln’s English gold watch and chain were purchased in the 1850s from George Chatterton, a Springfield, Illinois, jeweler. Lincoln was not outwardly vain, but the fine gold watch was a conspicuous symbol of his success.The news that on April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter reached Washington just as watchmaker Jonathan Dillon was repairing Abraham Lincoln’s timepiece. Caught up in the moment, Dillon unscrewed the dial and engraved: “Jonathan Dillon April 13, 1861 Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon April 13, 1861 Washington” and “thank God we have a government Jonth Dillon.” Other watchmakers’ markings also appear on the plate. Lincoln never knew of the message he carried in his pocket. The inscription remained hidden behind the dial. The unconfirmed story was known only within Dillon’s family...until now. After being contacted by Dillon’s great great-grandson, the Museum removed the dial on March 10, 2009, to reveal the watchmaker’s declaration.

Lincoln Tidbits ~~

1. Theodore Roosevelt, at his inauguration in 1905, wore a ring that contained Lincoln's hair. The ring was given to him for the occasion by John Hay, Roosevelt's secretary of state. As a young man Hay had served as one of Lincoln's personal secretaries. Hay paid $100.00 for six strands of Lincoln's hair removed during the autopsy and had them made into a ring.

2. Lincoln stood 6 foot, 4 inches tall. He was the tallest president.

3. Lincoln's wife, Mary's brother, half-brother and brothers-in-law all served and fought in the Confederate Army.

4. Lincoln was the only president to hold a patent. It was for a device to lift boats in a canal.

5. Lincoln was the first president to sport a beard. Lincoln grew his beard when told by a 9-year old girl that a beard would make him more appealing to women and they would insist that they're husbands vote for him.

6. Lincoln's son, Robert, was in Washington at the time of Lincoln's death. Robert was also on the scene when President Garfield was shot in 1881 and was there when President McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

7. In a popular poll of historians, Lincoln was named the greatest U.S. President. George Washington was second.

8. After Lincoln was shot and his pockets were emptied, the only money he had on him was a $5.00 "confederate" bill.

9. Lincoln had invited General U.S. Grant and wife to accompany him and Mary to Ford's theater on that fateful night in 1865. Because Mrs. Grant did not like Mary Lincoln, they refused, telling the president that they had to catch the train for New Jersey to visit their daughter. In place of the Grants, Lincoln had invited Major Henry R. Rathbone and Clara Harris to go with them. In the attack on the president, John Wilkes Booth slashed Major Rathbone's arm while getting away. Rathbone and Harris would go on to be married but Major Rathbone would later be committed to a mental institution after murdering Clara.

10. After the end of the Civil War, there was a celebration in the streets of Washington, DC with music from several military bands. Lincoln was asked to select a number for the band to play. He asked them to play "Dixie". He said that he had always liked the song.

11. Since Secretary of War Edwin Stanton had publicly remarked his dislike for president Lincoln on several occasions, even verbally making fun of him to his face and getting extremely angry with the president when Lincoln didn't agree with him on subjects about the war, it has always been thought by many that Stanton was actually behind the assassination. This has never been confirmed. When vice president Andrew Johnson was sworn in as president after Lincoln's death, it didn't take long for Johnson to fire Stanton.

Lincoln's Coffin ~ From an old postcard

Lincoln's Coffin

Lincoln, 1854

Lincoln's favorite

Abraham Lincoln - Studio Shots

Lincoln at home 1860

Family ~

Mary Todd Lincoln, Abe's wife

Abe's son Willie Lincoln. He died of typhoid

Willie

Willie

Lincoln with his son, Tad, in 1865. By this time, Lincoln had already lost a son Willie to typhoid

Lincoln reads with his son, Tad

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Fido, Lincoln's dog ~

Abe's son, Robert Todd Lincoln

Lincoln sits with his private secretaries

John Milton Hay, 1855.

Dr. Charles Augustus Leale, 1860

Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton

Vice President, first term; Hannibal Hamlin

Vice President; second term, Andrew Johnson

In the Field ~

Same photo as above, colorized.

A memorial to Lincoln at the time of his death

Hello, I'm Mr. Ed

About Me

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Click link to go to my blog about the many coincidences between Lincoln and John F. Kennedy

Lincoln's Assassination Conspirators ~

ARTIFACTS ~ This Carriage took Lincoln to Ford's Theater

Lincoln's Hat

Booth's Darringer. This is the gun that fired the fatal shot into Lincoln's head

More pictures of the pistol

The pistol ball that was removed from Lincoln's head

Lincoln's Hat, the death chair and the schawl he covered himself in on the fateful night

Lincoln's Assassination Chair

Lincoln's Deathbed. Photo taken the day after his death

Lincoln's Deathbed now in a museum

The room in the Peterson house where Lincoln died

Poster Issued for Lincoln Murderers

Lincoln Funeral Broadside

Lincoln’s Wedge

Genuine Rail

Mud Circuit Desk

Lincoln's gold watch

Inkwell ~

Another Inwell ~

Lincoln's shawl ~

Mary Lincoln's winter dress ~

Mary's tea service ~

Campaign Banner, Belfast, Maine

Lincoln Grave Robbers ~

More pictures of Lincoln ~

Mary Surratt House ~

Hanging of the Conspirators. July 7, 1865 ~

Boston Corbett ~

Ford's Theater, Washington, DC ~

Assassination scene is recreated in wax at the National Historical Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.

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Lincoln in Casket ~

Lincoln's Casket ~

Funerals ~

February 5, 1865 ~

Same photo as above, colorized.

Lincoln letter, 1864 ~

Lincoln Tidbits ~~

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