Tarbell on Otto Eisenschiml

[Jim Garrett]

In my youth, I embraced the idea that Stanton was behind it and that there was a grander conspiracy afoot. As they say, Roger, with age comes wisdom, or maybe not. Anyway, the more I have read and researched, the more convinced I become that there is no way Stanton was involved. He was too much of a Unionist. AL had built Stanton. While Stanton may have originally underestimated the simple prarie, lawyer, he quickly realized what an incredibly gifted politician and leader he was. One trait they shared was that neither man cared who they riled. Both would kick the hornets nest. The difference was that AL could pick go back, pick up the nest, put it back, and not get stung. Maybe not every time. Stanton grew to have great admiration for AL. He understood the risks AL took putting him in a War Secretary. Next to Robert Lincoln, Stanton was probably the most moved in the death room. While Stanton appears to not have been able to handle death well in general, I think that Stanton felt that he and AL were a team and as colse a friend as he would have.