David J. Kent's Blog, page 16

Lincoln Oversees the Capture of Norfolk

May 10, 1862 was a busy day for President Abraham Lincoln. He had arrived at Fortress Monroe days before and today, along with Secretaries Chase and Stanton, accompanied General Wool to a landing place where troops were preparing to march on Norfolk. Lincoln served as his own commanding general in Hampton... Continue reading

Lincoln and the Patent Office

At noon on Thursday, May 2, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln raised the flag over the Patent Office at 7th and F streets, NW, Washington, DC. The patent office was a familiar place for Lincoln. Today it is the National Portrait Gallery (including a portrait of Lincoln and the other presidents)... Continue reading

Harold Holzer Offers Advanced Praise for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

One part of the process of putting together a book is asking prominent experts in the field to read an advance copy and provide back cover “blurbs.” I am very happy to report that one of the most highly respected and prolific leaders on Abraham Lincoln – Harold Holzer –... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln Assassination Science

Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 am on the morning of April 15, 1865. The final chapter in Lincoln: The Fire of Genius is called “Assassination Science.” It starts this way: Dr. Charles Leale examined the fallen president and knew immediately the wound was mortal. Twenty-three years old and only six... Continue reading

Lincoln’s Role in the DC Emancipation Act of 1862 – April 13th Presentation

I will be giving a presentation on April 13, 2022, titled “Lincoln’s Role in the DC Emancipation Act of 1862.” The presentation is part of a series of events in commemoration of the 160th Anniversary of DC Emancipation, an Act signed into law on April 16, 1862, by President Abraham... Continue reading

Lincoln’s First Temporary Insanity Case

Abraham Lincoln once advised in the prosecution of Isaac Wyant, who had his arm amputated after being shot in a border dispute with Anson Rusk. Following his recovery, Wyant sought out and shot Rusk four times, then pleaded not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. Lincoln’s old friend Leonard Swett... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln and the Sand Bar Case Sets Legal Precedent

On March 23, 1860, one of Lincoln’s more famous cases came to trial in the U.S. District Court. Johnston v. Jones & Marsh, more commonly known as the Sand Bar case, was important both because of its subject matter (it highlighted Lincoln’s experience with technology) and because, in an age... Continue reading

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius Gets #1 New Release Ranking

I randomly looked at the Amazon page this morning for my forthcoming book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, and noticed that it had a banner acknowledging it as the #1 New Release.   Considering the release date for the book isn’t until September 1, 2022, that’s not a bad start.... Continue reading

Lincoln’s Day Fretting About the Monitor and the Merrimack

Abraham Lincoln spent much of his day on March 9, 1862 fretting over the battle of the ironclads. The Union ironclad Monitor had fought to a draw with the Confederate ironclad Virginia (former the USS Merrimack) at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Virginia had been created from the burnt out hull of... Continue reading

Lincoln and the Arctic Explorer

Abraham Lincoln had a knack for meeting Arctic explorers. On March 1, 1862, Lincoln wrote to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton: Dr. Isaac I. Hayes, of Dr. Kane’s Arctic expedition, and more recently of an Arctic expedition headed by himself, is an applicant for Brigade Surgeon; and I would like... Continue reading