Lincoln's Christianity by Michael Burkhimer

[RJNorton]

I found the story, and I never heard of it before. My best guess is that it is (at least partly) apocryphal. I checked "The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln" and drew a blank on Lincoln's alleged furlough request.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Few people know how Abraham Lincoln once took time out from the pressing problems of the Civil War to play cupid for pretty Fanny Gurley, the daughter of his good friend and pastor.

Fanny was engaged to a West Point cadet, class of 1861, named Anthony Elderkin, originally of Potsdam, N. Y. Lincoln happened to be talking to her father after the fall of Fort Sumter, and, incidentally, asked about her.

Gurley told the president that his daughter's fiance was even then on his way to the front lines. He told Lincoln, too, of his doubts about allowing his daughter to marry a combat soldier.

Lincoln, knowing that Fanny's heart was set on the marriage, sat down and wrote this dispatch to the commanding officer of young Elderkin's detachment:

"Three days furlough for Elderkin. Come to Washington at once to be married."

The boy came, and the bride's father performed the ceremony. Lincoln stood in the receiving line, next to the bride, and gave her one of his homely bits of wisdom.

"Have a home of your own," the president said. "If it's only one room, with a stove in one corner, and a bed in the other, have a home of your own.

"A man needs a wife as much in war as he does in peace. I think he needs her more. Stay with your husband when you can.

"Don't let a third party interfere between you two; stay by yourselves. Never "trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.' "