David J. Kent's Blog, page 19

Lincoln and the Lost Townships Rebecca Letters…or Not

I see you printed that long letter I sent you a spell ago—I’m quite encouraged by it, and can’t keep from writing again. So begins the second letter of a series that has come to be known as the Lost Townships or the “Rebecca” letters since they were signed off... Continue reading

Mrs. Lincoln’s Corsets, and Other Abraham Lincoln News

On this auspicious date in 1844, Mrs. Lincoln bought material to make corsets. Six yards of “gimp,” which was a strong twisted silk, wool, or cotton (not to be confused with the plastic form of gimp I used in Boy Scouts), along with ample amounts of lace. Presumably she already... Continue reading

Lincoln Witnesses the Coffee Mill Gun in Action

On August 17, 1861, Abraham Lincoln witnessed an exhibition of what Lincoln dubbed the “coffee mill gun.” Lincoln was always pushing for modernized weaponry beyond the standard muskets, which were inaccurate and slow to reload. He pushed Ordinance Chief James Ripley to put into service various breechloaders, rifles, carbines, and... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln Meets with Frederick Douglass

On August 10, 1863, Abraham Lincoln met with Frederick Douglass in the White House. Douglass had arrived unannounced, accompanied by Kansas Senator Samuel Pomeroy. They found the waiting room filled with people seeking an audience with the president, so Douglass, dressed in a dark suit on this sweltering August morning,... Continue reading

Lincoln Wins Seat in Illinois State Legislature

On August 4, 1834, at the age of 25, Abraham Lincoln was elected to the Illinois State Legislature. This was two years after he ran the first time – and lost. After failing at his first attempt at political office, Lincoln fell into co-ownership of the store that would later... Continue reading

Lincoln Calls for Higher Pay for Women During the Civil War

On July 27, 1864, Abraham Lincoln called on Edwin Stanton to increase the pay of women working in the cause of the Civil War. He wrote: “I know not how much is within the legal power of the government in this case; but it is certainly true in equity, that... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln, College Guy?

Famously, Abraham Lincoln wrote that he the “aggregate of all his schooling did not amount to one year.” He added that he “was never in a college or Academy as a student; and never inside of a college or academy building til since he had a law-license.” And yet, Lincoln... Continue reading

Lincoln named “Best Lincoln Biography for Young People”

    Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, which was published by Fall River Press in 2017, has been named “Best Lincoln Biography for Young People” by Tom Peet and David Keck, authors of Reading Lincoln. I’m back from my post-manuscript submission break. I took a week to decompress, which...

Catching Up on Lincoln, The Book

I often check The Lincoln Log to catch up on what was happening this day in Abraham Lincoln’s life. And today I can also update where things stand on my new Lincoln book. Among other events listed for June 30, 1864 is that Lincoln abandons the idea of colonizing freed... Continue reading

Lincoln Sues the Railroad Hand That Feeds Him

On June 23, 1857, Abraham Lincoln sued the Illinois Central Railroad. The Railroad had hired him on many occasions to defend their interests, but on this occasion they balked at the unusually high fee Lincoln charged – $5000. Lincoln had served the railroad well over many years, often taking limited... Continue reading