|
 James Getty has answered a number of questions as he thinks they would have been answered
by President Abraham Lincoln. We thank Mr. Getty for his answers and his insights.
David Burgess, of Temple, Texas, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
Are there any living descendents of you or any of you or your wife's relatives? I am especially interested in the
Todd line. I believe that Mary Todd may have common ancestors to that of my mother's family.
My dear Mr. Burgess:
Concerning your inquiry about the Todd line of ancestors and descendents, I can
report that our son, Robert, was the only surivor of our four boys to reach maturity. He married Sen. Harlan's
daughter (Iowa). They had a son, Abraham (called Jack) who died in high school of blood poisoning. Robert and Nancy
Harlan also had two daughters, each married and had children. However, none of those children produced children.
The last one, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith has now passed away, leaving no remaining descendents of Mary Todd Lincoln
and myself.
With regard to any of Mary's relatives, I suggest you contact the Lincoln Museum,
200 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN 46801.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
J. R. Hafer, of Hickory, North Carolina, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
If Robert (Bobby) Lee had accepted your offer to lead the Northern Forces, would there have been any question about
loyality, in your mind? Would that have made any difference in circumventing any Battles or the longivity of the
war?
My dear Mr. Hafer:
Gen. Winfield Scott advised me that the finest young officer he had seen in the
Mexican War was Lt. Robert E. Lee. Stating that Lee was now a Colonel in the Federal Army, I would do well to offer
him command. I instructed Preston Blair to make the offer on my behalf.
Of course Lee refused, stating he did not want to see our nation become divided,
however he could not lead the Federal Army against his beloved Virginia.
I have always felt that had Robert E. Lee chosen to remain in the United States
Army, it would have deprived the Confederacy of their most outstanding General, placing his magnificent talents
with the Union, thereby allowing the Civil War to be shortened by two years and would have saved thousands of lives.
He made his loyalty clear at the beginning. Had he come with us, I also would
never have questioned his allegiance to the Federal Government.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
Candace Pearson, of Los Angeles, California, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
I admire your address at Gettysburg. I wonder what the day was like when you delivered it. Was it a damp, grey
November? Was it drizzling on the platform as you stood to speak? And what did you see as you looked out at the
landscape -- what kinds of trees, fields, crops? Did the sun appear when you spoke, or was the day a sad, dreary
one?"
Dear Candace:
As you asked about November 19, 1863, I would say the temperature climbed to about
50 degrees that day. unusual for mid-November. I had arrived the late afternoon of the 19th. The small town was
extremely crowded with both civilian and military units, bands, etc. I was hosted by Judge David Wills and his
good wife. They resided on the diamond, the center of the little town.
Very early on the morning of the 19th, Secretary Seward and I went for a ride
in a wagon across some of the battlefield. It appeared it had rained a small amount during the night.
From the speakers platform in the cemetery I remember looking to the west to see
the beautiful line of the small mountains. You asked about the day being sad. I was much overwhelmed with the realization
that those men in their graves had been willing to give their lives for something they would never see; a better
county with the promise of equality and hope for all future generations with the preservation of our Union!
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
Ralph Coleman, of Brigham City, Utah, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
Although you were not personally present at the Republican convention in Chicago, how actively involved were you
in seeking the nomination for President? How much leeway did you give your convention representatives to speak/promise/get
commitments in your behaf?
My Dear Mr. Coleman:
It is true that I did not make the trip from Springfield to Chicago for the 1860
Republican Convention. I did send a representative committee, headed by Norman Judd. Of the other candidates, from
which a choice for standard-bearer would be made, included the favorite, William Seward (Ny), Chase (Ohio) and
Bates from St. Louis. My instructions to my committee were basically to try to position Abraham Lincoln as the
"second choice" with as many state organizations as possible. . .and to make no deals.
However, a "deal" was made with Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania, bringing
his "favorite son" delegates into my camp, and thus expecting a seat on my cabinet if I truly did receive
the Party nomination and win in the general election that fall.
The main activity for the public was at The Wigwam Convention Center at Lake Street
and Wacker Drive. My committe had their headquarters at The Tremont House.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
Katie Rowley, of Upperlake, California, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
How did you ever think of the words for the Gettysburg address?
Dear Miss Rowley:
Mr. David Wills of Gettysburg, Governor Curtin's appointee, invited me in early November of 1863 to be present
on the 19th instant in his town to make a "few appropriate remarks" at the dedication of the National
Cemetery there. I was delighted.
Sometimes a brief oration is more difficult to formulate than a more lengthy one.
I spent considerable time on preparation, though the Address lasted only a few seconds beyond two minutes.
I had two motives. The first was to pay tribute to those who had been willing
to risk their lives (and many had paid the last, full measure) to maintain the form of government envisioned by
our founding fathers eighty-seven years earlier. And the second was to remind the audience (and all Americans)
it was rather for us, the living, to be dedicated here to the great task remaining before all of us.
I imagine, Katie, some of those "great tasks" remain in this country
in your time.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
p.s. An old friend of mine, Noah Brooks, a reporter for the Sacramento Union,
was in Washington as a Civil War correspondant for that newspaper and he made trip on the train with me to Gettysburg.
So when I gave my Address, there was someone from California with me.
Miss Ricks' Class, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
Our class has been studying about you and we have many questions. One of our questions is: did you like to be president
of the Ulnited States? Some others included: who were some of your friends, how many children did you have, what
did you like to do as a kid?
Thank you. We'll be waiting to hear from you.
Dear Students:
With reference to your inquiry, please let me start by saying I did not really enjoy being President of the United
States. I had little time to savor that office. A President wants to see resources (time and talent and monies)
being spent on improvements - research in transportation, medicine and education. While some advances in all these
could be noted, so much was being expended on destruction.
I had many friends as a young fellow; telling a lot of jokes, people seemed to
enjoy being in my company. As an adult, my closest friend was Ward Hill Lamon of Danville, Illinois. He was also
an attorney. I asked him to come to Washington when I won the 1860 election. He could be relied on not to share
my concerns which I discussed with him. He entertained me with his banjo playing and his fine voice.
Mrs. Lincoln and I had four boys; Robert, Taddy (really named Thomas, for my father),
Eddie (for Edward Baker, a close friend of ours) and Willie (William Wallace). And what I liked to do most as a
boy was read. I also pitched horseshoes and wrestled a bit.
Best wishes for success in your school work.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln (James Getty)
Christopher Duncan wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
Beyond your personal values and beliefs, did you ever think that by going to war with the South, you were violating
the United States Constitution in forcing the South to return to the Union and their individual state's right to
succeed?
My Dear Mr. Duncan:
You ask about my "going to war with the South, and violating their right to secede." It was Jefferson
Davis who ordered the firing on Fort Sumpter. I responded.
Now, this concern of yours about our Constitution. I considered it would have
been a weak organic Document that would allow for its own disintegration.
America was in its infancy during my Administration. We had proclaimed to the
world in 1776 that our experiment in government -- a government by its people -- offered more opportunity for the
advancement and fulfillment of its citizen's dreams that did any other form of government in existence.
In May of 1861 I related this belief to my secretary, John Hay. I said, "For
my part, I consider that the central idea prevading this struggle is the necessity that is upon us, of proving
that popular government is not an absurdity. We must settle this question now, whether in a free government the
minority have the right to break up the government whenever they choose. If we fail it will go far to prove the
incapability of the people to govern themselves."
Now that Constitution . . . The South must have one. And have they, in it, allowed
for further secession, as they say ours has provided? If they have lived up to that ideology, than any of their
eleven states may secede from their Confederacy.
No! Our Union has to be preserved to guarantee, as I said at Gettysburg, that
the marvelous dream of our Founding Fathers "shall not perish from the earth."
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln
Larry Birkbeck wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
How was the war won? Was it strategic errors on the part of General Lee? If not, what was the most decisive factor
in the Civil War? Thank you!
My Dear Mr. Birkbeck:
You're asking if strategic errors on the part of General Lee contributed to the outcome of our Civil War; a four
year struggle, ending with a final Federal victory.
Not in my view. There were numerous miscalculations and mistakes on both sides.
It was the brilliance, the skills of Lee and some other Southern leaders, managing to maneuver, often with fewer
troops, less efficient equipment, and insufficient supplies, that prolonged the ordeal for nearly forty eight months.
The war was won by the determination of the Federal Government to see it through
to its end. There was the will to persevere on the part of the Administration, its military leaders, its troops
in the field and its sailors aboard ships, and its home-front loyal citizens, all combining to secure final victory.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln
Elizabeth M. Paul wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
I have always wondered about your feelings toward your wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. I have read that she was a very
difficult woman to get along with. How is it that you fell in love with her and stayed with her until your death
on April 14, 1965?
My Dear Miss Paul:
You asked about my good wife, Mary. I had often called her "Molly", and as our family increased, "Mother".
I had met Miss Todd when she came to Springfield to live with her sister, Elizabeth and her husband, Ninian Edwards.
(Nimian was in the Illinois General Assembly. His father had been the Territorial Governor of Illinois; both Whigs,
as was I.)
I was taken by Mary's charm, her wit and her interests. Our wedding was November
4, 1842 at the home of the Edwardses, though they had not favored such a union.
Mary's life-style changed dramatically. A startling reality must have set in with
her, having left the luxurious home of the Lexington, Kentucky Todds, to the confines of our simple, one-room we
rented at the Globe Tavern for a bit more than a year. Our first son, Robert was born there. We eventually purchased
a home in Springfield, giving her more room. She loved to entertain.
While our family added three more sons, I was an ambitious, struggling lawyer
and politician. Time with family was not what it should have been. The death of our four year old son, Eddie, plus
the loss of her father, while we were yet in Illinois, affected her greatly.
I suppose there will be some delving into the Lincoln marriage; some attempted
analysis. But I would say, Miss Paul, your question could have read, "Were you, Abraham Lincoln, a very difficult
man to get along with?" And I would answer, "Probably so." And why did I stay with "Molly"
until my death? I had the jeweler inscribe on the inside of her wedding band, "Love is Eternal".
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln
Ivan Gullett wrote:
Dear Mr. Lincoln,
My dauther has a class in history and now they are studying about you. One of the question in todays lesson is
what town was Abraham Lincoln was born in. Everywhere I look different states and towns try to claim you. It would
be very helpful if you could answer this question.
Thank you.
Dear Mr. Gullett:
My father, Tom Lincoln, married Nancy Hanks in Elizabethtown, Kentucky in 1806. I was born in a log cabin, near
Hodgenville, not far from there, on Sunday, February 12, 1809. We later moved to a cabin along Knob Creek and at
the age of seven we crossed the Ohio River to a location in Spencer County, Indiana, not far from Gentryville.
Thank you for your inquiry. I hope this has helped.
Your obedient servant,
A. Lincoln
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