Robert Lincoln and the military

[loetar44]

We all know that Abraham Lincoln asked Gen. Grant, not as President but as a friend, for a favor, namely to find a place for his son Robert on his immediate staff in City Point (a relatively safe spot), after Robert kept pressing his desire for military service and his mother (and father) finally agreed Bur, what do we know about Robert’s military service, which lasted only 4 months? As far as I know he was commissioned as an assistant adjutant with the rank of captain in Grant’s staff on February 11, 1865. Was this an existing or a new created rank? In Grant’s memoires it is said that Robert arrived on February 21 at City Point. Why was this 10 days later? Is there anybody who knows on what steamer Robert arrived at City Point? Robert was never involved in any actual combat, but did see on several occasions the atrocities of the war on the battlefield. Did ever said something about this experience? He was present at Appomattox when Lee surrendered on April 9. Was that generally known in 1865? He returned to Washington on April 13. Also General Grant arrived from City Point in Washington on that date, accompanied by some members of his staff. Was Robert among them? I suspect Robert did not report again to Grant after the murder of his father. He resigned his commission on June 12, 1865.

[L Verge]

(11-02-2014 01:33 PM)loetar44 Wrote:  We all know that Abraham Lincoln asked Gen. Grant, not as President but as a friend, for a favor, namely to find a place for his son Robert on his immediate staff in City Point (a relatively safe spot), after Robert kept pressing his desire for military service and his mother (and father) finally agreed Bur, what do we know about Robert’s military service, which lasted only 4 months? As far as I know he was commissioned as an assistant adjutant with the rank of captain in Grant’s staff on February 11, 1865. Was this an existing or a new created rank? In Grant’s memoires it is said that Robert arrived on February 21 at City Point. Why was this 10 days later? Is there anybody who knows on what steamer Robert arrived at City Point? Robert was never involved in any actual combat, but did see on several occasions the atrocities of the war on the battlefield. Did ever said something about this experience? He was present at Appomattox when Lee surrendered on April 9. Was that generally known in 1865? He returned to Washington on April 13. Also General Grant arrived from City Point in Washington on that date, accompanied by some members of his staff. Was Robert among them? I suspect Robert did not report again to Grant after the murder of his father. He resigned his commission on June 12, 1865.

I must admit that I never finished reading Jason Emerson's book on RTL. Someone who has or who has the book might be able to answer this.

[RJNorton]

I think Robert spent some time running errands and escorting guests to their destinations.

Trying to be humorous about his military life at City Point Robert wrote a letter to John Hay on March 14, 1865:

"I was sitting here on my lovely watch, (that is figurative; my watch is really in my vest pocket & not in the seat of my breeches), thinking cusses that I was not in my couch. Just why I ain't is because Kelly and Crook got took off by a Cavalry raid sometime ago and because the sentries will go to sleep sometimes...They have lots of pretty girls down here lately....If you want to do a favor send some more and oblige."

[Eva Elisabeth]

(11-02-2014 02:01 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I must admit that I never finished reading Jason Emerson's book on RTL. Someone who has or who has the book might be able to answer this.

It's online here:
http://books.google.de/books?id=3XLTAAAA...=html_text

[loetar44]

(11-02-2014 06:03 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  

(11-02-2014 02:01 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I must admit that I never finished reading Jason Emerson's book on RTL. Someone who has or who has the book might be able to answer this.

It's online here:
http://books.google.de/books?id=3XLTAAAA...=html_text

Thanks Eva for the link to Emerson’s book (Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert T. Lincoln). Immediately after reading the passage on Roberts return to Washington questions arose with me. I seriously doubt Emerson is very accurate in writing on p. 98 the following: “The general’s boat pulled into the Washington shipyard on the morning of April 14 [1865] greeted by the city’s joyous din of celebration: ‘As we reached our destination that bright morning … every gun in and near Washington burst forth – and such a salvo! – all the bells rang out merry greetings, and the city was literally swathed in flags and bunting,’ Julia Grant wrote. “

This is what Julia Grant wrote in her “Personal Memoirs”: “The General [Grant] and staff and a large number of other officers, and Mrs. Rawlins and I went to Washington on the General’s dispatch boat, freighted as she was with heroes, brave men, every gun in and near Washington burst forth – and such a salvo! – all the bells rang out merry greetings, and the city was literally swathed in flags and bunting.” She did not say that this was on the morning of April 14. It was on the day when the Grant party arrived.

In fact Mrs. Grant wrote: “The day (Monday) following that on which we received the news of the surrender was a little cloudy, and all at once at a given signal, every man-of-war, tug, or other craft that had a whistle began to blow it, and such a noise no one ever heard before.” The surrender of Gen. Lee at Appomattox Court House was on Sunday April 9, 1865. So, Julia Grant wrote here about Monday April 10. She also wrote she expected her husband back “for late dinner that evening”. But a telegram from Gen. Grant came: “Tell Mrs. Grant and party we will not be in as soon as we expected and cannot say at what time now.”

Mrs. Grant further wrote: “It was nearly three o’clock A.M. [= Tuesday, April 11], and we were quite exhausted ….. “, and “We waited until four o’clock and then we consented to retire, but we did not undress, only went to our cabins to rest awhile, ….”. Grant arrived at City Point when Mrs. Grant was asleep. When Mrs. Grant woke up, Gen. Grant breakfasted with his wife that morning (April 11]. Grant decided to go at once to Washington (Mrs. Grant wrote that he said: “I will go at once to Washington”). They started on the General’s dispatch boat the same day (April 11], destination Washington. The trip over the James River, the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac normally lasted ca. 30 hours. This would mean that the Grant party (with Robert Lincoln) arrived in Washington on Thursday April 13 and not on April 14 !

The New York Times wrote: “Washington, Thursday, April 13. The dispatch-boat Mary Martin arrived up from City Point about 3 o’clock this afternoon, with Lieut.-Gen. Grant and wife [accompanied by members of his staff ]. I don’t know if the name of the ship was ‘Mary’ or ‘Milton’ Martin, named after a wealthy merchant and banker who lived in Claverack. In his memoirs Grant wrote: “the steamer ‘M. Martin’, a Hudson River boat which was very comfortably fitted up for the use of passengers”. I know that during the Civil War, the ‘M. Martin’ was drafted into war service and became the dispatch boat for General Grant.

Back to Jason Emerson's book. He wrote “In fact, the young captain [= Robert Lincoln] left with General Grant and cortege the next morning [the morning after Lee’s surrender] for the four-day journey to Washington.” It took indeed 4 days for Grant (and Robert) to reach Washington, however not from City Point, but from Appomattox Court House, and 9 + 4 = 13 April (and not 14). Grant wrote in his memoirs: “After I left General Lee at Appomattox Station, I went with my staff and a few others directly to Burkesville Station on my way to Washington. The road from Burkesville back having been newly repaired and the ground being soft, the train got off the track frequently, and, as a result, it was after midnight of the second day [= April 11] when I reached City Point. As soon as possible I took a dispatch-boat thence to Washington City.” This all is in consistence with what Julia Grant wrote.

If we keep in mind that Gen. Grant rode out to accompany Mary Lincoln to see the Grand Illumination of Washington the night of April 13 and Julia Grant was that night at the residence of Secretary Stanton, Grant (and Robert) could not have arrived in Washington in the morning of April 14.

So, it’s my opinion that Emerson is wrong in his book by writing that Robert Lincoln arrived in Washington in the morning of April 14. He is also wrong in writing on p. 99: “He [Robert Lincoln] simply mounted his horse and rode directly from the wharf to the White House that fateful morning [= April 14], eager to rejoin his family, whom he found at breakfast”.

Francis F. Browne wrote in his “The Everyday Life of Abraham Lincoln”(1886): “On the morning of that fatal Friday, the 14th day of April, the President had a long conversation at breakfast with his son Robert, then a member of Grant's staff, who had just arrived from the front with additional particulars of Lee's surrender, of which event he had been a witness. The President listened with close attention to the interesting recital; then, taking up a portrait of General Lee, which his son had brought him, he placed it on the table before him, where he scanned it long and thoughtfully. Presently he said: "It is a good face. It is the face of a noble, brave man. I am glad that the war is over at last." Looking upon Robert, he continued: "Well, my son, you have returned safely from the front. The war is now closed, and we will soon live in peace with the brave men who have been fighting against us. I trust that the era of good feeling has returned, and that henceforth we shall live in harmony together."

IT’S MY OPINION that Robert Lincoln arrived in Washington in Grant’s party on the steamer M. Martin on April 13, at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. He then rode directly from the wharf to the White House. He did not found his father and mother and Tad at breakfast but breakfasted at 8 A.M. with them on the following morning (April 14), after a night rest in his room (at the White House). At breakfast he discussed the war with his father.

If Robert indeed arrived in the (late) afternoon of April 13 at the White House, does anyone than know how Robert was welcomed there? Did he immediately saw his parents and Tad? Or was his father in the Soldier’s Home at that moment to discuss various topics with Asst. Sec. of Treasury Maunsell B. Field? Remember this is the last homecoming of Robert to see his father alive ….

[RJNorton]

Kees, Jason Emerson is a member here. I hope he sees your opinion and comments. Another book which says Robert arrived on the 14th is Katherine Helm's Mary: Wife of Lincoln. She is commenting about the situation right after the assassination and writes, "Messengers were sent in every direction, one hastened to the White House to summon Robert Lincoln, who had only that day arrived in Washington."

[RJNorton]

In continuing to research Kees' thoughts I wonder if the New York Herald of April 17, 1865, made an error. According to John S. Goff's Robert Lincoln bio that newspaper reported Grant's arrival was April 14 and in time for him to attend a Cabinet meeting that same day. He also lists a second source for the April 14 arrival. This was a letter from Robert Lincoln to Judd Stewart dated May 14, 1919 (in the Huntington Library). Possibly Robert's memory had faded when he wrote that letter? This all seems strange as we know from a previous discussion that the Grants checked in to the Willard Hotel on April 13.

[L Verge]

This is a very good site and also has a timeline of events from April 9-14 showing Robert arriving in D.C. on April 14: http://www.fordstheatre.org/sites/defaul...incoln.pdf Since Robert was a junior officer whose main duty was to escort visiting dignitaries around Grant's headquarters, is it possible that more than one ship came up the Potomac from City Point and that RTL was not on Grant's flagship (if things were still called that)?

I also found this description of that time period on that site:

Washington in the Throes of Victory

Fruitful and teeming with hope, the North had … been celebrating heartily since the fall
of Richmond. That day merited a whopping 900-gun salute. After Appomattox, 500 guns
against boomed throughout the city, shattering windows across the way from the White
House in Lafayette Square and from Georgetown to Capitol Hill, Judiciary Square to
Center Market, Negro Hill to Swampoodle, Rock Creek Park to the fine estates of
Harewood and Kalorama in the far off suburbs north of Washington, have been “delirious
with joy.” For the better part of this week, the jubilation has been everywhere: bonfires
burn on every corner, flags snap festively in the wind, normally dour men stomp their
feet and wave their arms, children scamper about, chanting and cheering… Washington
reeks of one endless round of festivities: lawn fetes, bazaars, wild saloon gatherings,
smokers, parties, torchlight parades, and theatricals. And most of all the people are
hungering for speeches, above all, from the president. “Speech!” a crowd of some 3,000
cries out at the White House on Monday evening. Then once more: “Speech!” – as
though it were a simple one word cheer, an antiphon, echoed and reechoed by the
beaming, tearful, exultant Unionists who rejoiced in the ecstatic evidence that their
sacrifices had not been in vain.

But Abraham Lincoln curiously puts them off, instead promising to deliver an address on
Tuesday night. Oddly enough, only Lincoln, in his exhausted condition, seems strangely
immune to the intoxicating glow of impending military victory.

But why? Since the stunning news of Appomattox, he should be relishing the splendid
vindication of sticking to his guns over the last four years, of finally twitting his enemies
and his critics, and huddling with his aides and closest friends in enjoying the moment.

To be sure, there has been a striking change in his mood since Lee’s surrender. For those
who have seen him in the past few days, he “is like a different man,” “his face is
shining,” his conversations are “exhilarating,” his whole appearance is “marvelously
changed.” But others notice something else: he is still so exhausted that one newspaper,
the New York Tribune, urgently pleads that “his energies much be spared” if he is to
complete his second term. And, to some, he is almost at loose ends. He hasn’t been
sleeping well, troubled by insomnia and haunted by bizarre and ghoulish dreams. He is
afflicted with fierce headaches. He is thirty pounds underweight. One evening, aides
notice that he is grave and pale, even visibly disturbed. Mary Lincoln observes how
“dreadful solemn” he is. And he is beset by dark thoughts. Earlier that week, along the
James River near City Point, he and Mary had strolled through an old country graveyard.
“You will survive me,” he inexplicably muttered to her. “When I am gone, lay my
remains in some quiet place like this.”

(From Jay Winik, April, 1865: The Month that Saved America. HarperCollins, 2001.)11

[loetar44]

(11-04-2014 12:38 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  In continuing to research Kees' thoughts I wonder if the New York Herald of April 17, 1865, made an error. According to John S. Goff's Robert Lincoln bio that newspaper reported Grant's arrival was April 14 and in time for him to attend a Cabinet meeting that same day. He also lists a second source for the April 14 arrival. This was a letter from Robert Lincoln to Judd Stewart dated May 14, 1919 (in the Huntington Library). Possibly Robert's memory had faded when he wrote that letter? This all seems strange as we know from a previous discussion that the Grants checked in to the Willard Hotel on April 13.

Julia Grant writes in her memoirs that after disembarking at Washington “the General drove with us directly to Willard’s and, as soon as he saw me comfortably located, went to the Executive Mansion. Everyone was wild with delight. We received calls of congratulation all day. The city was illuminated that night. I went with Mrs. Stanton to the War Department, where we were joined by Mr. Stanton and General Grant.” This is according to me sufficient proof that the Grants and his staff arrived in Washington on April 13, and because Robert Lincoln was part of his staff and was traveling with the Grants he was also there the same date. Julia wrote, he “went to the Executive Mansion”, so Grant was in the White House. Also on the same day he accompanied Mary Lincoln to witness the illumination of the city, and was later that evening at the reception at Stanton’s residence (with his wife). The Grants retired at a late hour and returned to their room at Willard’s.

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(11-04-2014 01:24 PM)L Verge Wrote:  This is a very good site and also has a timeline of events from April 9-14 showing Robert arriving in D.C. on April 14: http://www.fordstheatre.org/sites/defaul...incoln.pdf Since Robert was a junior officer whose main duty was to escort visiting dignitaries around Grant's headquarters, is it possible that more than one ship came up the Potomac from City Point and that RTL was not on Grant's flagship (if things were still called that)?

Of course it's a possibility that more steamers arrived shortly after each other, but is that documented somewhere? Grant wrote that the "'M. Martin’ was a Hudson River boat which was very comfortably fitted up for the use of passengers" , so I asume that the ship was huge enough to accommodate Grant's whole staff .... And Julia Grant wrote in her memoirs "Some of the officers remained [in City Point] to visit the fallen city [Richmond]".

[Eva Elisabeth]

The "Lincoln Log" refers to two of the mentioned sources and puts it this way:

"Capt. Robert Lincoln arrives in Washington from scene of Gen. R. E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Va., in time for 8 A.M. breakfast with President. Helm, Mary, 259; Francis F. Browne, The Everyday Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Thompson, 1886), 701-2."

http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Calendar.as...1865-04-14

Indeed an early time to arrive! On the other hand Robert refused to go out that night because he felt too tired (which on the other hand again might have been an excuse as he had never accompanied his father to the theater). However, as often your research and thoughts are amazing and interesting, Kees! And your arguments do make sense to me.

Re: "He [Robert Lincoln] simply mounted his horse and rode directly from the wharf to the White House that fateful morning [= April 14], eager to rejoin his family, whom he found at breakfast” (J. Emmerson's bio, p.99) - would the horse have been on the steamer?

[Linda Anderson]

I found an article titled "Edwin Booth Saved Robert Todd Lincoln's Life" in The Lincoln Children: Robert Todd Lincoln from the Lincoln Financial Foundation's collection. The article was originally published in the April 2005 Civil War Times. It states that Robert returned with Grant on April 13. The author of the article is Jason Emerson.

https://archive.org/stream/lincolnchildr...t+april+13

http://www.historynet.com/edwin-booth

[loetar44]

(11-04-2014 02:56 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Re: "He [Robert Lincoln] simply mounted his horse and rode directly from the wharf to the White House that fateful morning [= April 14], eager to rejoin his family, whom he found at breakfast” (J. Emmerson's bio, p.99) - would the horse have been on the steamer?

Don’t know Eva, but the M. Martin was a comfortable boat, improved in both "speed" and in comfort. I suspect it could be loaded with wheeled carriages, horses and passengers. But it is just one of my “thoughts”….

[L Verge]

(11-04-2014 01:55 PM)loetar44 Wrote:  

(11-04-2014 12:38 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  In continuing to research Kees' thoughts I wonder if the New York Herald of April 17, 1865, made an error. According to John S. Goff's Robert Lincoln bio that newspaper reported Grant's arrival was April 14 and in time for him to attend a Cabinet meeting that same day. He also lists a second source for the April 14 arrival. This was a letter from Robert Lincoln to Judd Stewart dated May 14, 1919 (in the Huntington Library). Possibly Robert's memory had faded when he wrote that letter? This all seems strange as we know from a previous discussion that the Grants checked in to the Willard Hotel on April 13.

Julia Grant writes in her memoirs that after disembarking at Washington “the General drove with us directly to Willard’s and, as soon as he saw me comfortably located, went to the Executive Mansion. Everyone was wild with delight. We received calls of congratulation all day. The city was illuminated that night. I went with Mrs. Stanton to the War Department, where we were joined by Mr. Stanton and General Grant.” This is according to me sufficient proof that the Grants and his staff arrived in Washington on April 13, and because Robert Lincoln was part of his staff and was traveling with the Grants he was also there the same date. Julia wrote, he “went to the Executive Mansion”, so Grant was in the White House. Also on the same day he accompanied Mary Lincoln to witness the illumination of the city, and was later that evening at the reception at Stanton’s residence (with his wife). The Grants retired at a late hour and returned to their room at Willard’s.

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(11-04-2014 01:24 PM)L Verge Wrote:  This is a very good site and also has a timeline of events from April 9-14 showing Robert arriving in D.C. on April 14: http://www.fordstheatre.org/sites/defaul...incoln.pdf Since Robert was a junior officer whose main duty was to escort visiting dignitaries around Grant's headquarters, is it possible that more than one ship came up the Potomac from City Point and that RTL was not on Grant's flagship (if things were still called that)?

Of course it's a possibility that more steamers arrived shortly after each other, but is that documented somewhere? Grant wrote that the "'M. Martin’ was a Hudson River boat which was very comfortably fitted up for the use of passengers" , so I asume that the ship was huge enough to accommodate Grant's whole staff .... And Julia Grant wrote in her memoirs "Some of the officers remained [in City Point] to visit the fallen city [Richmond]".

Perhaps Robert was one who remained in City Point long enough to view Richmond and then left on a later boat? Speculation, of course, but Mrs. Grant's sentence might suggest that.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(11-04-2014 03:33 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  I found an article titled "Edwin Booth Saved Robert Todd Lincoln's Life" in The Lincoln Children: Robert Todd Lincoln from the Lincoln Financial Foundation's collection. The article was originally published in the April 2005 Civil War Times. It states that Robert returned with Grant on April 13. The author of the article is Jason Emerson.

https://archive.org/stream/lincolnchildr...t+april+13

http://www.historynet.com/edwin-booth

Linda, thanks, this is an interesting find! At this time (as the bio was published later), Mr. Emerson stated exactly what Kees believes,too:
"He [Robert]stayed with Grant until the end of the war,accompanying him to Washington on April 13, 1865."

Now I wonder why the author changed his mind later to the 14 - or was this a typo? As (Kees argumentation in post #5 does make sense to me.) Also how did he "get at" the dates in both, article and book? I don't have "Giant in the Shadows", and wonder what source is given to note #49 (chapter six, p.98), online it's a bit difficult (and bit-consuming) to "load through" all the pages...

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(11-04-2014 09:33 AM)loetar44 Wrote:  Back to Jason Emerson's book. He wrote “In fact, the young captain [= Robert Lincoln] left with General Grant and cortege the next morning [the morning after Lee’s surrender] for the four-day journey to Washington.” It took indeed 4 days for Grant (and Robert) to reach Washington, however not from City Point, but from Appomattox Court House, and 9 + 4 = 13 April (and not 14).

Kees, "the next morning [after Lee's surrender]" was April 10, and "left...the next morning" seems to refer to leaving Appomattox, thus (10+4=14) Mr. Emerson's calculation seems accurate within itself, but, I agree, incongruent with Grant's memoirs! (I assume that's what you meant at all.) However, it would be great if Mr. Emerson (who's a member) could kindly shed some light on this....

[RJNorton]

Fascinating discussion! IMO the evidence the Grants arrived on the 13th is solid; the time of Robert Lincoln's arrival less so. As I stated above there is a letter held by the Huntington Library from Robert Lincoln to Judd Stewart dated May 14, 1919, in which Robert himself apparently states he arrived on the morning of the 14th. Are letters like this online anywhere? Is there a way to read this letter? Although written many, many years after the fact, I would still tend to think Robert would have a pretty clear memory of that time frame due to the tragedy that occurred at Ford's.

Eva, Jason Emerson (in his Robert bio) gives only a footnote to Julia Grant's description of the arrival, not a footnote to the date itself (#50). Regarding #49 the footnote points to Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs.