ForFor thethe PeoplePeople A Ne w s l e t t e r of th e Ab r a h a m Li n c o l n As s o c i a t i o n Volume 1, Number 2 Summer, 1999 Springfield, Illinois Beware the Ides of March n Shakespeare’s play, “Julius allusions to things he professes to have shut himself perpetually in [an] iron Caesar,” a soothsayer warns Caesar heard as furnished no possible clue to box in which condition he would Iof impending treachery declaring, any person or place which could be scarcely be able to perform the neces- “Beware the Ides of March.” Lincoln’s pursued further, and which showed sary duties of a President of the United assassination by the treacherous hands only a mind in such agitation or disor- States.” of John Wilkes Booth was proceeded der as to be incapable of receiving or Certainly, Lincoln was no fool by similar warnings. The warnings conveying trustworthy evidence . when it came to personal safety. He were so numerous throughout his Mr. Lincoln’s uniform summing up of accepted the advice as President-elect entire presidency that, to modern the matter was, that since both friends that danger awaited him in Baltimore, observers, it is easy to dismiss them as and strangers did and must have per- causing Lincoln to quietly change his idle threats. Moreover, several recent sonal access to him daily and in all travel plans. When he entered his studies argue that Lincoln did not take manner of places, his life was within room at Willard’s Hotel as president- the death threats very seriously and the reach of any man sane or mad who elect, he was greeted with a threaten- that his personal secretaries did not might be ready to commit murder. ing note on the nightstand. General show him the offending letters, even That he could not possible guard him- Winfield Scott, commander of the fed- destroying them upon receipt. As self against all danger unless he were to continued on next page William O. Stoddard, one of Lincoln’s secretaries, claimed: “I was forbidden to show him any of the many threat- ening epistles.” This contradicts the testimony of others who claim that Lincoln had a folder marked “Assassination” with over eighty letters in it. Some of these letters were removed by officials and submitted as evidence at the trial of the assassins. The file has never been found among Lincoln’s papers or those of his Cabinet members or military leaders. One of Lincoln’s other private sec- retaries, John George Nicolay, provid- ed a more detailed explanation of how death threats were handled: “Mr. Lincoln was shown every letter of this character containing any threat or inti- Anderson Cottage (Soldier’s Home) mation of such against his life. And on one occasion at least, where a definite Virtual Library Now On-Line name and address of a person was given, who professed to have knowl- fter several false starts, the orig- fundraising efforts to finish the elec- edge of some such design the writer of inal eight-volume Collected tronic conversion of Lincoln Day By the letter was summoned to Washing- AWorks of Abraham Lincoln is Day. To everyone who has sent in ton, and was personally examined and now available through the Association their annual pledge, thank you. Those cross questioned both by the private website, www.alincolnassoc.com. Be- who would like to make a donation to Secretary and by Secretary Stanton cause of the excellent work of Dan speed along these efforts may make and the result communicated to the Bannister and his committee, anyone their check out to the Abraham president. The result indeed proved can search the contents of the Collected Lincoln Association and send it to 1 nothing; the replies of the witness Works free of charge. Dan and his Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, were only such vague and shadowy committee are busy with their annual Illinois 62701. 2 For the People For the People: A Newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Association -- President’s Column By Donald R. Tracy making plans to attend. If you need a Capitol Plaza, Springfield, Illinois hotel room call the Renaissance Hotel, 62701, or via email at: he 1999 Lincoln Banquet was which will remain our lodging head- [email protected] or a great time. Our speaker, quarters. [email protected] James B. Stewart, hit just the Tom Schwartz, Cullom Davis, rightT note in analyzing the historical Bob Willard, and I attended the Letters significance of the independent Abraham Lincoln Institute Confer- counsel investigation of President ence in Washington, D.C., at the Your Volume1/Number 1 issue Clinton on the very day the Senate National Archives in March. Mark is very good. Keep going please. agreed to acquit Clinton. As the Steiner gave a very entertaining speech Enclosed is a little help. photographs on pages five and eight on the Lincoln Legal Papers Project. of this Newsletter show, the banquet Tom Schwartz made an excellent pre- Sincerely, hall was splendidly decorated. The sentation of our own Virtual Lincoln Marjorie Rogers presentation of the colors by the Library Project. Carlinville, IL 114th Regiment Illinois Volunteer We are currently in the midst of a Infantry (Reactivated) and the music membership drive. Our goal is one Dear Mr. Tracy: by the 33rd Regiment Illinois thousand members by February 12, Last week I received a copy of Volunteer Infantry Civil War Band 2000. Since the beginning of this year, the new newsletter of the Abraham were equally spectacular. As usual, we have gained over one hundred new Lincoln Association. I found it to be we concluded by singing all four members. Please help by encouraging an excellent publication and I was stanzas of the “Battle Hymn of the your Lincoln friends and relatives to very happy to receive it. Republic,” en masse. join. An application is on page seven In answer to your question If you haven’t attended our ban- of this newsletter. regarding the cost of this endeavor quet in recent years, we promise you We are pleased to have several new let me say this; I would be very glad an excellent time next February 12 directors. Please see the separate arti- to pay an additional ten dollars per when presidential historian, Doris cle describing the Board changes. year over and above my twenty-five Kearns Goodwin, will be our key- Individual profiles of new and old dollar membership. I wish that I note speaker. There is, however, a Board members will appear in this and could do more but now that I am change in venue. Next year’s ban- future issues. retired I need to watch my expendi- quet will be in the atrium lobby of Please do not hesitate to write to tures. National City Bank, which is just me or to any of the directors if you across Washington Street from the have any suggestions for this newslet- Many thanks for a fine job! Old State Capitol. Please save the ter or any of our other projects. All of James C. Mould date of February 12, 2000, and begin us can be reached at 1 Old State Mishawaka, IN continued from previous page the War Department from the Exec- als still had ready access to the Exec- eral forces, took no chances when it utive Mansion, he carried with him a utive Mansion and the President. came to the Inaugural parade and cer- “thick oaken stick” fashioned from Lincoln placed himself among the emonies. Crack riflemen lined the timber salvaged from a sunken man- throngs at many public functions with- length of Pennsylvania Avenue to pro- of-war at Hampton Roads. This ver- out the benefit of bodyguards. When tect the carriage carrying President sion of the Lincoln “peacemaker” con- he was returning from the Soldier’s James Buchanan and President-elect tained pieces of metal from both the Home, a mysterious gunshot was Lincoln. A moment of comic relief ironclad Monitor and Merrimac. fired, sparing Lincoln’s life but taking occurred when a sharp noise similar to Despite these apparent cautions, as its casualty Lincoln’s top hat. And a rifle shot was determined to be noth- most people think of Lincoln as indif- an equally mysterious carriage accident ing more than a tree branch giving ferent to his own security. While the that resulted in an almost fatal injury way to the weight of a young boy 150th Regiment Pennsylvania Vol- to Mrs. Lincoln, was probably intend- seeking a better view of events. Later, unteer Infantry provided visible securi- ed for her husband. when Lincoln made late night trips to ty at the Executive Mansion, individu- continued on page 6 For the People 3 THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN Old Friends He established the James A. Rawley ASSOCIATION Prize which is awarded through the Leave the Organization of American Historians. DONALD R. TRACY President Board of When asked what led him to the study of Abraham Lincoln, Rawley MOLLY BECKER Directors replied: RICHARD HART RICHARD MILLS While New “My interest in Lincoln reaches Vice-Presidents back to boyhood when I was growing Friends Join up in Indiana, the state where Lincoln THOMAS F. S CHWARTZ Secretary t was with a certain sadness to wit- came to manhood. The interest rose ness the departure from the Board when I wrote a biography of Edwin D. JUDITH BARRINGER Morgan, national chairman of the Treasurer Iof Directors of five individuals who have faithfully served the Associ- Republican Party in 1860, governor of DAN W.