Category: Daily Story

The Cabinet “At one Cabinet meeting Lincoln had all his counselors but one against him. He was reminded of a revival meeting in Illinois when a fellow with a few drinks too many in him had walked up the aisle to a front pew. All eyes were on him, but he didn’t… Read the full… Continue reading The Cabinet

Fredericksburg I [John Cochrane] recall the forcible illustration with which President Lincoln characterized the fatal facility of the Rapahannock transit, when I subsequently described to him the particulars: [of the defeat at Fredericksbrug]… Read the full story

A Thief’s Property The conversation afterwards turned upon the Emancipation Proclamation, and he referred to the Souther objection that it was an interference with the rights of property, and said it reminded him of an affair which happened near St. Louis a… Read the full story

Run Away One evening during the last week of his life, when extremely busy and weary as well, Lincoln was called to the reception room to see Mr. [James] Speed, then Attorney-General. He had called to introduce a friend and, seeing the weary look on the… Read the full story

Aunt Jenny’s Pies Something was said about the absurdity of the Breckinridge followers in holding fast to the old party name, when Democratic principles had long been thrown overboard. Upon this hint Mr. Lincoln spoke, relating how an ancient colored lady, dwelling… Read the full story

Lee’s Army Lincoln had stood with two umbrellas at an imaginary rat hole, impersonating Sam’l, the Quaker boy whose father wanted to stop the boy’s using swear words. The two umbrellas were blacksmith tongs. Sam’ls father had… Read the full story

Demands of South He avoided discussing the political questions of the day. The nearest he would come to it was to illustrate with quaint humor and simplicity the demands of the South upon the North by a little home story. He said it… Read the full story

Pencil and Cooper Union [Reminded that during the Cooper Union speech he’d forgotten to remove the pencil he had placed behind his ear:] He said that his absent-mindedness on that occasion recalled to him the story of an old… Read the full story

Pat and His Garden [Rebuffing Know-Nothing supporters in 1854 because of their bias against immigrants:] “I had some time ago an Irishman named Patrick cultivating my garden. One morning I went out to see how he was getting… Read the full story

John Moore and the Cart Speaking of the relative merits of New England rum and corn juice, as he called it, to illuminate the human mind, he told me this story of John Moore, who resided south of Blooming Grove, and subsequently became state… Read the full story