President Lincoln's sense of humor

[LincolnMan]

Most people think humor was one of Lincoln's way of dealing with his stress-to that I think we all agree. The following story is taken from the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant- and illustrates so well the humor that Lincoln employed:

"Right here I might relate an anecdote of Mr. Lincoln. It was on the occasion of his visit to me just after he had talked with the peace commissioners at Hampton Roads. After a little conversation, he asked me if I had seen that overcoat of Stephen's. I replied I had. "Well," said he, "didn't you see him take it off?" I said yes. "Well," said he, "didn't you think it was the biggest shuck and the littlest ear that you ever did see?" Long afterwards I told this story to the Confederate General J. B. Gordon, at the time a member of the Senate. He repeated it to Stephens, and, as I heard afterwards, Stephens laughed immoderately at the simile of Mr. Lincoln."