Lincoln Herald

A Baptist Heritage Influencing Personal Beliefs

admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Abraham Lincoln just like the Abraham in the Bible was truly the father of his Country. To this day, it is not known exactly how he stood of the issue of Christianly. His father was a Baptist and during the time he was in office, he attended the New York Presbyterian church regularly but he never made a profession of faith.

Abraham knew the Bible very well and memorized major portions of it. He certainly lived by all it’s virtues. He always paid any debts back he had and took care of the poor including widows and small children. He could often be seen reading the Bible during the years he was in the White House, but he never prayed before a meal. Of course neither one of those things makes a person a Christian.

Lincoln did have plenty of time to ponder his eternal future with the early deaths of his two sons. It is really unclear what Lincoln really believed and no man will ever know. But it is not up to people to judge how he believed and whether he was a Baptist or a Presbyterian is really not the issue. His strong Biblical roots did affect how he ran the Country and for that we can be thankful.Related Article : Abraham Lincoln on the Debt Ceiling Crisis

Growing Up In A Respected And Wealthy Family

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Abraham Lincoln serves as a great example of why growing up in a wealthy family should not be taken for granted and that it is not a prerequisite to success.

When Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809, his father was a wealthy and affluent Kentucky citizen. Unfortunately, in 1816, his father lost most of his wealth to creditors after an adverse court ruling regarding a defective title. As a result of the unfavorable verdict, the Lincoln family moved away from Kentucky and settled in Perry County, Louisiana. The transition was harsh, and Lincoln was forced into a new life fraught with adversity.Is this new to you? Catch up here

After moving to Perry County, Lincoln spent the majority of his childhood carrying out chores for his father. Lincoln detested the hard labor demanded of him and the poverty stricken life he was forced to live. He yearned for a formal education. Unfortunately, Lincoln never obtained a formal grade school education because of his father’s financial woes and fierce demands.

Lincoln developed a sense of autonomy in response to being deprived of an education as a child. He wished to someday leave his father and find a better life. He taught himself to both read and write. He also became an avid reader. In 1831, Lincoln finally abandoned his father and traveled to Sangamon County, Illinois. Eventually, Lincoln earned a reputation as a great story teller with excellent people skills. His wise, honest demeanor received high praise in the political community. Inevitably, Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States, abolished slavery, and wrote the highly renowned Gettysburg Address.

Back To The Beginning: Family Roots

admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Our nation’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln was born in what was at the time called Hardin County, Kentucky, (now La Rue County) on Sinking Spring Farm, on February 12th, 1809. Lincoln’s father was Thomas Lincoln, and his mother was named Nancy Lincoln. At the time of his birth, Lincoln’s family lived in a one room cabin that housed his father, his mother, and an older sister; Sarah.
Lincoln’s mother died of “Milk Sickness” when Abraham Lincoln was nine. His older sister died soon after, while giving birth. Lincoln’s father then married a woman named Sarah Bush Johnston. Abraham became extremely close to Sarah, and seemed to grow further apart from his father, most likely due to his father’s lack of education and accepted way of life.
Abraham Lincoln received very little formal education, and was mostly a self-taught man. He actually received approximately eighteen months of formal education from multiple teachers. His love for reading caused him to increase his knowledge as years passed. In November of 1942, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd. She came from a very wealthy slave-holder family in Lexington, Kentucky. Although she had grown up with most daily tasks being done for her by slaves, she accepted her duties as a wife an homemaker diligently.

The Abe You Didn’t Know

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Abraham Lincoln has morphed from man to legend in the last two decades and for good reason. He is responsible for much of the abolition of slavery and the distribution of energy around the US (Just Energy can thank him for that!) as well as numerous other personal and professional achievements. Here are a few of the more interesting facts about Honest Abe:
He was the tallest US President to date, standing at 6 foot 4 inches
He suffered from a deep depression that often crippled him though he was known as a comedic jokester
He created a national banking system that resulted in the standardization of national currency
He was the very first president to be assassinated
His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was actually raised in an extremely wealthy family for the time
He patented a buoyancy system for steamboats before he became president
His birth mother died when he was very young from “milk sickness”
He was the first president at the time to have a fullgrown beard
He was very fond of animals and kept dogs, cats, horses and a turkey as pets

Presidents Day 2011

www.lincolnherald.com — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Now that the holiday craziness has been left behind us for another year it’s a good time to look forward to what’s happening in the New Year.President’s Day falls on February 21^st this year and we figure it’s as good a time as any to take a look at a few interesting facts about one president being celebrated Abraham Lincoln just in case you want to bring out the trivia-purse at the water cooler!

Unlike a lot of presidents since him, Lincoln wrote his own speeches, including his most famous Gettysburg Address. And while many may believe it was this address which was Lincoln’s most poignant, there’s rumor out there that his speech to the Illinois Republican Convention in 1856 was by far his best. Unfortunately, no record of it remains.
Lincoln had no ascribed faith, even though he considered himself to be fully Christian. There were many sects (denominations) that tried to lay claim to his affinity, but in all reality he was 100 non-denominational and never joined a church of any type.
The 16^th President of the United States liked to trifle with machines and gadgets, taking them apart just to reconstruct them so he could gain a deeper understanding of how they worked. In fact, he even had a patent issued in 1849 for “A Device for Buoying Vessels Over Shoals” and although nothing became of it, he is the only President to have ever had a patent issued.
There are absolutely no living heirs to Lincoln in spite of the fact that his marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln resulted in the birth of four sons. Three of those four sons died before they turned 20; and the only decedent of the remaining son died in the 1980s.
Lincoln and President Kennedy have some bizarre linkage: both were assassinated on a Friday with a shot to the head; Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846 with Kennedy being elected to Congress in 1946; and both Presidents’ successor was named Johnson.

There you have it. Five fun facts to drop at will during any trivia contest on President’s Day or otherwise.

The Film

www.lincolnherald.com — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

THE FILM: If you’d like to sit back on a cold wintery day and tap into a little bit of history in a classic way you may want to check out the 1930 biographical film Abraham Lincoln (also released under the title D.W. Griffith’s Abraham Lincoln) since it was directed by D.W. Griffith. What’s nice about the film is that it not only covers Lincoln’s political years, but his early years as a storekeeper and rail-splitter as well as his time spent as a lawyer courting Mary Todd in Springfield. The story is told in a series of smaller vignettes depicted in scenes with each of about equal length. Also included is the famed Lincoln-Douglas debate although some reviewers of the film have commented that its accurateness seems a little suspect even though the first part of the film (pertaining to Lincoln’s early years) appears to be spot-on. And as is to be expected from any Lincoln biography, the film ends with the assassination. Last, as a form of full disclosure, we should point out that the film has been included in the listing of “The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and How They Got That Way)” by certain reviewers, but we still mention it as an option to transport your mind to a visual time concerning Lincoln instead of relying merely on the literary.

A Letter on the death of Abraham Lincoln

www.lincolnherald.com — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:24:44 +0000

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln shook the nation to its core. Having just witnessed the end of the Civil War, such tragedy was unexpected. The historic event occurred in Washington, D.C.; at the Ford’s theatre, to be precise. The assailant, John Wilkes Booth, supported the Confederacy and slavery. Discontented with Lincoln’s plans for the future, Booth killed the president. Not even two weeks later and Booth was killed for his crime.John Henry Wilson, a Captain in the First Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, was stationed at Fort Stevens, Washington, D. C. when news came of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The following letter to Wilson’s wife, Elizabeth, expecting their first child, reveals the immediate opinions Wilson encountered at the news of Lincoln’s death, his anguish about the event, the steps taken spontaneously by his army unit to apprehend the assassins, and the deliberate murder of an individual who expressed satisfaction over Lincoln’s death.Fort Stevens, D. C. Sunday eveningApril 16th, 1865My Dear Wife: -Your ever welcome letter of the 12th, was received last Friday evening. I wrote you two letters last week, according to promise, which I hope you received. I will continue to write you twice a week, Sunday and Thursday evening’s sic as long as possible, whether I hear from you or not. We were thrown into great excitement here at half past one Friday night by being notified by an officer from headquarters, that the greatest man that has ever lived, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was cowardly assassinated, while quietly sitting in the Theatre, also that Secretary Seward and son was dangerously wounded; and that the assassin had escaped. We put our pickets on the alert; It was thought at first that they escaped over the Seventh street road, but they did not. We have now got the whole place surrounded with pickets, they run from fort to fort, so that it will be impossible for anyone to get through it. The reason this line is established is because it is supposed, that some of these cowardly assassins are still in the City, and they expect that they will be able to arrest them, and I hope and pray they will. Everyone here looks sad, the men all feel terribly indignant and they keep a pretty sharp lookout. I would pitty sic any of them if they would fall into the hands of the army. I would like to be a private executioner of any one of them. Their sic seems to be no doubt but that J. W. Booth is the assassin, and I don’t think he can possibly escape, the government is doing all that is possible to arrest him. Bessie, I think that if their sic is a just God in Heaven, and I do believe their sic is, the perpetrators of these deeds must be arrested and punished .Every house in the city is in mourning, and it is impossible to get any mourning flags to buy, we tried to get some for our quarters but could not. I suppose they are terribly excited in New York. The City Government of Washington has offered twenty thousand dollars, and Gen. Augur, commanding the Department of Washington, ten thousand dollars reward, which makes thirty thousand dollars offered altogether, a pretty good sum. One of our men was in the city yesterday and he heard a man say “that it was good enough for the black rascal.” A cavelry sic man, who was standing near heard him, and immediately turned around, looked him square in the eye, drew a revolver and blew his brains out; which served him right. Such people, if they know when they are well off will keep their mouth closed. Death to traitors is now the unanimous cry, particularly with the army.My dear, I am happy to say I am very well, but somewhat excited. When I heard of this terrible affair, I felt as though I could do anything for revenge. I would like to have had a chance to take my Company into a fight so that we could take no prisoners. I have not heard anything, for many a day that has made me feel worse than this has.I have not yet heard from Boston, I guess Aunt must be mad with me. I have not been in the city yet, and so have not got my pay. I hope you have got all your arrangements made, and that you have got a woman hired, if you can’t do any better you might send for Aunt, as I guess she would like to come, provided you would like to have her; but I suppose you would not. I am sorry that you continue to feel so miserable, but my dear it will soon be over, and you will then be the happy mother of a boy. I don’t know of anything more to write you this time. I hope to hear from you soon. Give my love to all my friends. Hoping you are well, I remain ever your loving husband.John

Lincoln historical sites

www.lincolnherald.com — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:21:34 +0000

Throughout the United States, there are several sites which honor the 16^th president. From Abraham Lincoln’s home in Illinois, to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, the president’s life is remembered nationwide.The Lincoln MemorialOne of the most well known monuments to Lincoln is found in Washington, D.C. The memorial is an impressive 19feet high and was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. The statue represents the president during a troubled period of American history; the Civil War. According to the designer, Lincoln’s expression shows him considering the fate of the Union.Lincoln’s HomeLocated in Springfield, Illinois, history lovers can visit the former home of Abraham Lincoln. For 17 years, the future president and his wife lived at the Illinois site. Tours run from 8:30am to 4:30pm and admission into this historic home is free (visitors still need a ticket to reserve their place).Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and MuseumAlso in Springfield, Illinois, the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is dedicated to the 16^th president. Explore Lincoln’s life as never before with moments from his early and presidential life. The museum is open from 9am to 5pm every day. For admission costs, visit the museum’s website.The Lincoln MonumentThe Lincoln Monument is not to be confused with the Lincoln Memorial; rather, it is statue in Wyoming by Robert Russin. The memorial is located on the Lincoln Highway.

The Lincoln Monument on the Lincoln Highway

www.lincolnherald.com — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:17:34 +0000

The Lincoln Monument by Robert I. Russin is one of many sites which honor the former president. The following piece, written by Russin himself, offers an informative glance at the commemorative statue, as well as the designer’s respect for Lincoln.The Lincoln Monument at the summit of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway in Wyoming was dedicated on October 18, 1959. While it was conceived as part of the State of Wyoming’s contribution to the celebration of the Lincoln Sesquicentennial year, the statue was actually envisioned some twelve years earlier when I first came to teach at the University of Wyoming. The site, at an elevation of almost 9,000 feet, commands a panoramic view of tremendous scope and beauty. A grand wooded valley floor drops away abruptly from the summit to rise again in the rugged upland of the Rocky Mountains. The land has such incomparable sweep and grandeur that it suggested to me the thought of a Lincoln statue. As I stood before the ageless drama of the mountains and the valleys which summoned up the epical meaning of Lincoln, I knew that someday the monument would come into being. Abraham Lincoln has always been one of the truly significant men in the history of progress and democratic achievement. It is interesting to note that during the recent presidential campaign both Kennedy and Nixon frequently referred to quotations from Lincoln as being pertinent to the complicated affairs of today’s changing world. Above and beyond the world of his changing philosophy, his personal qualities were such as to evoke a humanistic response in all our hearts. We are all better people in the contemplation of Lincoln, the man.In creating the image of Lincoln, I have sought to project the image of the President in the last years of the Civil War, his great heart sorrowing for the rent nation. It is his vision of democracy molding this country that gives shape to the plastic forms of the statue. The ruggedness of the modeling grows out of the rugged quality of Lincoln’s character. The texture used blends with the granite base and the granite in his makeup. The grandeur of the landscape recalls the nobility of his soul. The immediate site, with strong vertical cliffs of stone, influenced the folds of his face and beard as well as the design of the base with its vertical thrust. Every effort was made to make a Lincoln at one with his surroundings.Technically, the statue was modeled in clay on a fifteen-foot platform at a large studio in Mexico. This was necessary to give a correct perspective of the monument as it would later appear. From time to time I would look at the statue through the “wrong end” of an opera glass to visualize the head at a distance of 45 feet. The modeling had to be so handled that it would be just right in the particularly clear air of Wyoming when the statue was translated into bronze. A plaster cast of 63 parts was then made and the statue reassembled so that it could be restudied and reworked. The plaster sections were then cast separately into wax and from wax into bronze by the age-old cere-perdu process. All pieces were then bolted and welded together, and all the seams were chased to remove any sign of the joints. The workmen in Mexico, at every stage of the work, put forth the very best effort because of their interest in the subject. At every step the revered name of Lincoln made the difficult easy. For example, the Mexican railways transported the huge crate from the Fundicion Artistica in Mexico City to Juarez in the record time of three days, so rapidly, in fact, that the customs papers had not arrived via letter post. Nevertheless, the statue was put across the border in two hours despite the lack of the usual custom papers.It has been a great personal satisfaction to have been able to create this monument to Lincoln who has been a lifelong study of mine. Tremendous help and support was given by the State of Wyoming, by the U. S. Forest Service, and by Dr. Charles W. Jeffrey of Rawlins, Wyoming, who supported the work. The site of the monument has been landscaped with evergreens and walks, and when all is complete, my hope is that those who stop and linger at the monument may have the inclination to contemplate the meaning of Lincoln and come away by the nobility of the man.This bronze head of Lincoln is the largest one in the world and is twelve and one-half feet high. It weighs three and one-half tons and reposes on the top of a column of granite which rises into the air thirty feet.