Lincoln's Poetry

[David Lockmiller]

(09-30-2020 12:38 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(09-30-2020 09:08 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  I wonder if Rosa's beau took heed by these words.

David, I tried to find her in a book titled History of the Haggard family in England and America, 1433 to 1899. Unfortunately the print was so light on my screen that I could not read it.

https://archive.org/details/historyofhag...7/mode/2up

Thanks, Roger. Good effort.

At the time of the following story which took place in 1862, President Lincoln must have recalled his earlier effort in Winchester, Illinois.

When the desire of the Navy officer to marry came to Lincoln’s attention, the president wrote to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles:

Executive Mansion. Washington, Aug. 2, 1862
Hon. Sec. of Navy

My dear Sir

Lieutenant Commanding James W.A. Nicholson, now commanding the Isaac Smith, wishes to be married, and from evidence now before me, I believe there is a young lady who sympathizes with him in that wish under these circumstances, please allow him the requisite leave of absence, if the public service can safely endure it.

Yours truly
A. Lincoln

(Two weeks later a newspaper notice confirmed that the marriage took place in St. John’s Episcopal Church next to Lafayette Square across from the White House.)