Lincoln Discussion Symposium

Great post Gene!The video was tremendous!

(07-24-2015 08:29 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-23-2015 08:14 PM)L Verge Wrote: [ -> ]Just like Gene is reminded of an appropriate song, I'm reminded of an experience that I had in England by using the past tense of the verb "to stuff" -- "stuffed." Back in 1971, a friend and I spent the summer traveling in Europe, and one of our first stops was London. We made contact with a family that a mutual, American friend had suggested; and they invited us to their suburban home for dinner.

I was offered second helpings, and I declined and added "I'm stuffed." The family literally dropped their knives and forks. It seems that the term "stuffed" was slang for "pregnant." Since abortion was then illegal in the U.S., the family automatically assumed that I was another American who had come to England for a legal abortion. We quickly cleared that situation up!

For good measure, you should have told the family that you loved to shag.

Susan, what does that mean (in AE)? Thanks!

(07-24-2015 10:09 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-24-2015 08:29 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-23-2015 08:14 PM)L Verge Wrote: [ -> ]Just like Gene is reminded of an appropriate song, I'm reminded of an experience that I had in England by using the past tense of the verb "to stuff" -- "stuffed." Back in 1971, a friend and I spent the summer traveling in Europe, and one of our first stops was London. We made contact with a family that a mutual, American friend had suggested; and they invited us to their suburban home for dinner.

I was offered second helpings, and I declined and added "I'm stuffed." The family literally dropped their knives and forks. It seems that the term "stuffed" was slang for "pregnant." Since abortion was then illegal in the U.S., the family automatically assumed that I was another American who had come to England for a legal abortion. We quickly cleared that situation up!

For good measure, you should have told the family that you loved to shag.

Susan, what does that mean (in AE)? Thanks!

The "shag" is a dance that is popular in the American South. In England, it has a very different meaning--sexual intercourse. I used to have a photograph of a roadside sign offering "shag lessons" that I liked to show my English friends on Facebook.

(07-24-2015 12:27 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-24-2015 10:09 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-24-2015 08:29 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-23-2015 08:14 PM)L Verge Wrote: [ -> ]Just like Gene is reminded of an appropriate song, I'm reminded of an experience that I had in England by using the past tense of the verb "to stuff" -- "stuffed." Back in 1971, a friend and I spent the summer traveling in Europe, and one of our first stops was London. We made contact with a family that a mutual, American friend had suggested; and they invited us to their suburban home for dinner.

I was offered second helpings, and I declined and added "I'm stuffed." The family literally dropped their knives and forks. It seems that the term "stuffed" was slang for "pregnant." Since abortion was then illegal in the U.S., the family automatically assumed that I was another American who had come to England for a legal abortion. We quickly cleared that situation up!

For good measure, you should have told the family that you loved to shag.

Susan, what does that mean (in AE)? Thanks!

The "shag" is a dance that is popular in the American South. In England, it has a very different meaning--sexual intercourse. I used to have a photograph of a roadside sign offering "shag lessons" that I liked to show my English friends on Facebook.

I knew about the dance, but not about the slang. Thanks for another edumacation, Susan.

Americans and English people are separated by a common language

Thanks, Susan.

(05-14-2015 02:28 PM)Juan Marrero Wrote: [ -> ]I am still reading "Fortune's Fool" and learning quite alot.

As I read it, I keep thinking that Booth possibly suffered from a borderline personality disorder--a very inflated sense of self, volatile and destructive personal relationships, rapid mood swings and a tendency towards despair. This is certainly not new ground for I am sure that his mental state has already been brought up and discussed. Morever, anyone who shoots an American president has to be, almost by defintion, crazy.

At the very least, he was an adrenalin junkie. Hard to believe how many times he was stabbed, cut, shot, etc. His reckless sword play on stage suggests someone barely in control of himself. Did he have to drive himself that hard just to feel anything?

It's a wonder that he did not (apparently) drink as much as his father did. Someone living at such speed would llikely look for a liquid or chemical way to come down at the end of the day.

As an aside, I think that JWB looks physically much like Lee H. Oswald in the photo in which Booth is photographed with his two brothers wearing Roman togas.

Juan, You bring up a lot of interesting questions. Does anyone have an educated guess on how many drinks JWB had on April 14? It's amazing to think that it was his habit to drink quite a bit and he combined that with swordplay on stage. Unless the other actors were also, to use the 1865 word, tight.

I agree,he does resemble Oswald in many ways!

I saw the unbelievable figures on how much the average American man drank in the 19th century somewhere. Believe it or not, Booth was about average. That's why the 19th amendment got passed. Only it made the whole thing worse!

Did Booth and Herold take any food with them on their escape? Whiskey seemed to be a priority.

In his "lost" statement George Atzerodt said:

"I am certain Dr. Mudd knew all about it, as Booth sent (as he told me) liquors & provisions for the trip with the President to Richmond, about two weeks before the murder to Dr. Mudd's."

Is it known whether Booth and Herold departed the Mudds' home with any of these provisions?

I have never seen mention of that, but would think they did not take anything except what might be stuffed in pockets. Anything heavy would be difficult on horseback. Also, remember that they purchased milk(?) and bread from Swann(?) before asking him to take them to Cox. Cox and Jones both fed them. I can't imagine that Jones - who had a large family to feed - could afford to supply the fugitives with much, especially liquor.

On a different note, I would not judge the words that Booth wrote while in hiding to be those of a man high on liquor or even one in withdrawal. His writing is legible, his thoughts logical (albeit dramatic), no signs of a shaking hand from DTs, etc.

Drinking alcohol was very big then and Booth had his share!

As a doctor in that era, would Mudd have likely given Booth whiskey for pain or would he have had a drug for that purpose? Mudd went to town supposedly to buy calico, if I remember right. Could he have gone to buy whiskey for Booth? Also, Davey Herold parted company with Booth for a while and went off with the Confederate soldiers, is that right? Could he have gone to buy whiskey for Booth?

As Laurie said, Booth's writing is succinct. If he could write like that when tipsy, he probably missed his calling. Should have been a drama critic, like his brother's pal Adam Badeau.