Lincoln and McClellan Election of 1864

[David Lockmiller]

(09-05-2021 04:09 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I agree with Rob.

I found the pages in Lamon's book where this is discussed...pp. 209-210. It mentions that the letter was then given by McClellan to "some of his party friends in New York, and its wise and statesmanlike propositions were declined." I cannot find the alleged letter in the Collected Works. If it really exists, where is the text of it?

I could not find in Professor Burlingame's work, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Vol. Two, in the section titled "Reelection (Sept - Nov 1864)" any reference to this letter.

But I did find another interesting Lincoln story on page 699:

The New York World alleged that Lincoln had asked Ward Hill Lamon to sing a popular ditty while they were accompanying McClellan on a tour of the corpse-strewn Antietam battlefield. According to the that flagship Democratic journal, the president said: "Come, Lamon, give us that song about Picayune Butler; McClellan has never heard it."

"Not now, if you please," McClellan purportedly remarked. I would prefer to hear it some other place and time."

When Lamon wrote a blistering denial, Lincoln advised him not to release it: "I would not publish this; it is too belligerent in its tone. You are at times too fond of a fight. There is a heap of wickedness mixed up with your usual amiability. If I were you, I'd state the facts as they were. I would give the statement as you have it without the cussedness. Let me try my hand at it." Taking pen in hand, Lincoln carefully and slowly composed a long letter for his friend's signature. After drafting it, Lincoln told Lamon: "You know, Hill, that this is the truth and the whole truth about that affair; but I dislike to appear as an apologist for an ct of my own which I know was right. Keep this paper, and we sill see about it." (Lamon, Recollections of Lincoln, page 149.) The document was not released to the press.

Does anyone know where to find this document? It should be a very interesting read.