The Bixby Letter

[GARY POPOLO]

I myself want to believe that Lincoln wrote the Bixby letter. My thoughts on this controversy is this. Receiving a request from governor Andrews for the President to write such an important letter to a mother that had just lost five boys in service to their country I believe Lincoln with the compassion he had for his boys and all children would not have passed this task to someone else to write. Even with Mr. Hay's talent for writing which I am sure Lincoln knew of his skills he would not be given this letter to write. I believe at the time the letter was written it was not thought of by Lincoln that it was to be a letter to be listed as one of the best writings of Lincoln. This was a letter to a mother who had lost her sons in battle and nothing more. Also I believe that a handwriting expert concluded that the letter was written by Lincoln. I also think that if true Hay was the type of person who would have been proud to tell his family that he was the author of the letter but choose not to. Also didnot Hay tell Robert Lincoln that he had nothing to do with the writing of the letter? I don't know if we will ever know for sure which man wrote the letter. But what we all can agree on is it is what a doubt an eloquent and most compassionate letter.