Chapter I: Preface

I make no apology for adding another “Life of Abraham Lincoln” to the many already written, as I believe it impossible to make such an example of successful perseverance allied to honesty, as the great President gave, too well known to the world. And as I know of no other man whose life shows so perfectly what may be effected by resolute self-culture, and adherence to good principles in spite of obstacles, I infer that such an example cannot be too extensively set before all young men who are ambitious to do _well_ in the truest sense. There are also other reasons why it should be studied. The life of Abraham Lincoln during his Presidency is simply that of his country--since he was so intimately concerned with every public event of his time, that as sometimes happens with photographs, so with the biography of Lincoln and the history of his time, we cannot decide whether the great picture was enlarged from the smaller one, or the smaller reduced from a greater. His career also fully proves that extremes meet, since in no despotism is there an example of any one who ever governed so great a country so thoroughly in detail as did this Republican of Republicans, whose one thought was simply to obey the people.

It is of course impossible to give within the limits of a small book all the details of a busy life, and also the history of the American Emancipation and its causes; but I trust that I have omitted little of much importance. The books to which I have been chiefly indebted, and from which I have borrowed most freely, are the lives of Lincoln by W. H. Lamon, and by my personal friends H. J. Raymond and Dr. Holland; and also the works referring to the war by I. N. Arnold, F. B. Carpenter, L. P. Brockett, A. Boyd, G. W. Bacon, J. Barrett, Adam Badeau, and F. Moore.

C. G. L.

_June, 1879._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE
Birth of Abraham Lincoln--The Lincoln Family--Abraham’s
first Schooling--Death of Mrs. Lincoln, and the new
“Mother”--Lincoln’s Boyhood and Youth--Self-Education--
Great Physical Strength--First Literary Efforts--Journey
to New Orleans--Encouraging Incident, 9

CHAPTER II.
Lincoln’s Appearance--His First Public Speech--Again at New
Orleans--Mechanical Genius--Clerk in a Country Store--Elected
Captain--The Black Hawk War--Is a successful Candidate for the
Legislature--Becomes a Storekeeper, Land Surveyor, and
Postmaster--His First Love--The “Long Nine”--First Step towards
Emancipation, 30

CHAPTER III.
Lincoln settles at Springfield as a Lawyer--Candidate for the
office of Presidential Elector--A Love Affair--Marries Miss
Todd--Religious Views--Exerts himself for Henry Clay--Elected
to Congress in 1846--Speeches in Congress--Out of Political
Employment until 1854--Anecdotes of Lincoln as a Lawyer, 53

CHAPTER IV.
Rise of the Southern Party--Formation of the Abolition and the Free
Soil Parties--Judge Douglas and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill--Douglas
defeated by Lincoln--Lincoln resigns as Candidate for
Congress--Lincoln’s Letter on Slavery--The Bloomington Speech--The
Fremont Campaign--Election of Buchanan--The Dred-Scott
Decision, 64

CHAPTER V.
Causes of Lincoln’s Nomination to the Presidency--His Lectures in
New York, &c.--The First Nomination and the Fence Rails--The
Nomination at Chicago--Elected President--Office-seekers and
Appointments--Lincoln’s Impartiality--The South determined to
Secede--Fears for Lincoln’s Life, 78

CHAPTER VI.
A Suspected Conspiracy--Lincoln’s Departure for Washington--His
Speeches at Springfield and on the road to the National
Capital--Breaking out of the Rebellion--Treachery of President
Buchanan--Treason in the Cabinet--Jefferson Davis’s
Message--Threats of Massacre and Ruin to the North--Southern
Sympathisers--Lincoln’s Inaugural Address--The Cabinet--The Days
of Doubt and of Darkness, 88

CHAPTER VII.
Mr. Seward refuses to meet the Rebel Commissioners--Lincoln’s
Forbearance--Fort Sumter--Call for 75,000 Troops--Troubles in
Maryland--Administrative Prudence--Judge Douglas--Increase of
the Army--Winthrop and Ellsworth--Bull Run--General
M‘Clellan, 102

CHAPTER VIII.
Relations with Europe--Foreign Views of the War--The
Slaves--Proclamation of Emancipation--Arrest of Rebel
Commissioners--Black Troops, 117

CHAPTER IX.
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-two--The Plan of the War, and
Strength of the Armies--General M‘Clellan--The General Movement,
January 27th, 1862--The brilliant Western Campaign--Removal of
M‘Clellan--The _Monitor_--Battle of Fredericksburg--Vallandigham
and Seymour--The _Alabama_--President Lincoln declines all
Foreign Mediation, 154

CHAPTER X.
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-three--A Popular Prophecy--General
Burnside relieved and General Hooker appointed--Battle of
Chancellorsville--The Rebels invade Pennsylvania--Battle of
Gettysburg--Lincoln’s Speech at Gettysburg--Grant takes
Vicksburg--Port Hudson--Battle of Chattanooga--New York
Riots--The French in Mexico--Troubles in Missouri, 147

CHAPTER XI.
Proclamation of Amnesty--Lincoln’s Benevolence--His
Self-reliance--Progress of the Campaign--The Summer of
1864--Lincoln’s Speech at Philadelphia--Suffering in the
South--Raids--Sherman’s March--Grant’s Position--Battle of
the Wilderness--Siege of Petersburg--Chambersburg--Naval
Victories--Confederate Intrigues--Presidential Election--Lincoln
Re-elected--Atrocious Attempts of the Confederates, 172

CHAPTER XII.
The President’s Reception of Negroes--The South opens Negotiations
for Peace--Proposals--Lincoln’s Second Inauguration--The Last
Battle--Davis Captured--End of the War--Death of Lincoln--Public
Mourning, 203

CHAPTER XIII.
President Lincoln’s Characteristics--His Love of Humour--His
Stories--Pithy Sayings--Repartees--His Dignity, 233

INDEX, 245

LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.