Abe by David S. Reynolds

[wpbinzel]

I've read Waking Giant - America in the Age of Jackson by David S. Reynolds and thought it was well-researched and well-written, so I asked Santa for Abe and she came through. Being a Lincoln assassination nerd, I always read that part of a Lincoln biography first and found this:

“Nonetheless, on the morning of April 14, Lincoln went to the War Department and asked Stanton whether his muscular assistant secretary Thomas T. Eckert would go with him and Mrs. Lincoln to the theater. Hoping to quash the theater plan, Stanton refused the president’s request. Lincoln countered by saying that Eckert was so strong that he once broke five iron pokers over his arm—he was the perfect bodyguard. Continuing to try to discourage Lincoln, Stanton said he had an important job for Eckert to do that evening. Lincoln then approached Eckert himself, who knew of Stanton’s feelings and told the president he was very busy and could not go.” [page 893, citing “D. H. Bates, Lincoln in the Telegraph Office, 366-68,” n. 29, p. 1027.]

I've researched that and believe it is a myth. See: http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...-3108.html

That is not to disparage this book in any manner, as I have only read a very small portion of it. It is a very readable text and well-footnoted. My point is that some of what has been become "accepted history" is simply by virtue of citing the same myth and source over and over.