Lincoln's Gamble: The Tumultuous Six Months that Gave America the Emancipation

[RJNorton]

(09-03-2014 06:29 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Just to add: Carpenter and Seward both quote Abraham Lincoln with exactly this sentence:
"Now this signature is one that will be closely examined, and if they find my hand trembled they will say 'he had some compunctions."
Carpenter's book was published in 1866, Frederick Seward's reminiscences in 1916, Seward was an eyewitness. Did one hear or copy from the other?

Eva, I do not know, but apparently a very similar sentiment was described in a letter Charles Sumner sent to George Livermore dated January 9, 1863. I tried to find the text of this letter online but so far have drawn a blank.