Who Said This?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks, Gene! (I'm looking forward to your review!)

[RJNorton]

No googling please.

Who said this?

"Lincoln had the tenderest heart for any one in distress, whether man, beast, or bird."

[RobertLC]

Hi, Roger!

Was it Noah Brooks?

Bob

[Eva Elisabeth]

John Hay?

[Dennis Urban]

Walt Whitman

[AussieMick]

Someone from Springfield years who was a friend / relative?

[Gene C]

Herndon ?

[AussieMick]

His stepmother Sarah?

[RJNorton]

Bob, Eva, Dennis, Michael, and Gene: Your guesses are all excellent but not correct.

The closest guesses are Michael's first one and Gene's.

[RobertLC]

Joshua Speed was a close friend of Lincoln. Was it Speed?

Bob

[Susan Higginbotham]

John T. Stuart?

[RJNorton]

Logical guess, Susan, but Bob got it. Kudos, Bob!

The quote comes from a lecture Speed delivered which was published in 1884.

Speed told the following story to explain why he included "bird" in his statement about Lincoln's tender heart:

"Six gentlemen, I being one, Lincoln, Baker, Hardin, and others were riding along a country road. We were strung along the road two and two together. We were passing through a thicket of wild plum and crab-apple trees. A violent windstorm had just occurred. Lincoln and Hardin were behind. There were two young birds by the roadside too young to fly…. The old bird was fluttering about and wailing as a mother ever does for her babes. Lincoln stopped, hitched his horse, caught the birds, hunted the nest and placed them in it. The rest of us rode on to a creek, and while our horses were drinking Hardin rode up. “Where is Lincoln?” said one. “Oh, when I saw him last he had two little birds in his hand hunting for their nest.” In perhaps an hour he came. They laughed at him. He said with much emphasis, “Gentlemen, you may laugh, but I could not have slept well tonight if I had not saved those birds. Their cries would have rung in my ears."

[RobertLC]

Thanks, Roger!

I saw the response that mentioned Springfield and thought of Lincoln’s close friends there and in the early years and Speed came to mind.

Lucky guess!

By the way, neat story that you shared with us. I remember seeing it somewhere before, but it was a very long time ago. I had forgotten all about it. Getting old and forgetful, I guess. Thanks for sharing.

Bob

[Gene C]

(12-10-2020 05:17 PM)RobertLC Wrote:  Getting old and forgetful, I guess.

I prefer to look at it this way.
My mind just likes to take the scenic route when retrieving information. It takes a little longer, but the scenery is more fun.

[RobertLC]

Thanks, Gene!

I like that perspective.

Bob