What are you reading now?

[Dawn E Foster]

(03-25-2014 09:54 AM)L Verge Wrote:  STRAIGHT FROM THE AUTHOR'S MOUTH: I had a phone call from Dr. Terry Alford this morning informing me that his Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth manuscript was submitted to the publisher in New York this past Friday. The production schedule calls for a mid-February release with it being in all book stores by mid-March. Just in time for the 2015 Surratt Conference.

I can't wait!!!

[LincolnMan]

I'm just now getting around to the Candice Millard book Destiny of the Republic. It is an interesting read that I'm sure all the Forum members would enjoy. Today I read where President Garfield had asked his Secretary of War (Robert Todd Lincoln) about the dream that his father Abraham Lincoln had about "the president is dead- killed by an assassin." It seems Garfield had troubling dreams also. He also had a nagging sense that he would die young. In the meantime, Garfield's assassin is looking for an opportunity to kill him. At one point, the assassin had the opportunity to strike the blow- but Garfield had his wife at his side- and he didn't want to kill Garfield with his wife next to him. Interesting thought- when one considers Booth killing Lincoln with his wife sitting beside him. The book also mentions that Garfield's assassin was twenty- years old when Lincoln was murdered- so he must have been well aqainted with what happened. Unlike Booth who went on the run after the shooting, Garfield's killer planned to go to jail. But he had a plan- he wrote a letter to General Sherman in advance requesting that the General have him released for the righteous thing he had done for the good of the country. Must read!

[RJNorton]

(06-08-2014 07:32 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Today I read where President Garfield had asked his Secretary of War (Robert Todd Lincoln) about the dream that his father Abraham Lincoln had about "the president is dead- killed by an assassin." It seems Garfield had troubling dreams also.

Bill, I am curious how Robert replied. Did he know of it independent of Ward Hill Lamon's word? Other than Lamon I don't think I have seen a second source. Possibly Mary Lincoln wrote about it in a letter?

[LincolnMan]

I'm at work now so I can't look for any source that may be listed. I think there are other Forum members that have the book- any help here?
The book basically has Robert Lincoln retelling his father's dream to Garfield. Funny, I thought of Lamon too. Lamon is not mentioned in the retelling. There is a "friend" that is mentioned as having been present in the room when Lincoln spoke of the dream. Mary is mentioned too as having been there. I assume the "friend" must have been a reference to Lamon.

[HerbS]

Some people think that Giteau was very angry because of Garfield's son's and other's response to Giteau's constant job seeking requests to Garfield.

[LincolnMan]

The picture that the book paints is that Giteau was quite delusional (my term) in that he thought he was very important- even to the extent that he was pretty much responsible for getting Garfield elected (of course, not true at all)- and therefore felt that he was well qualified for a position as he so desired. In reality, he had failed at everything he tried. However, in his mind he was important beyond measure.

[HerbS]

Yes,Giteau was a real"Wack Job".

[RJNorton]

(06-08-2014 09:20 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  The book basically has Robert Lincoln retelling his father's dream to Garfield. Funny, I thought of Lamon too. Lamon is not mentioned in the retelling.

I have always wondered about this dream. I have wanted to believe it (so many books include it!) but have always wondered why only Lamon seems to have reported it (unless I am wrong, and there is a second source). In their book on Lincoln's recollected words the Fehrenbachers give Lamon's reminiscence of this dream an "F" (meaning the quotation is probably not authentic).

[LincolnMan]

Roger: who was alleged to have been in the room with Lincoln when he told of the dream? I don't think Mary would have wanted to ever talk about it- especially because of what happened.

[RJNorton]

Bill, in Ward Hill Lamon's Recollections of Abraham Lincoln (which I think was basically written by his daughter) it says two or three other people were present. The only one he names, though, is Mary Lincoln. No other names are mentioned.

[Craig Hipkins]

It is interesting how one man's recollection or fabrication can become ingrained into the consciousness of a whole public. I have never questioned the authenticity of Lincoln's dream, just assuming that there were plenty of witness' that heard him tell it. It has been retold by countless authors and is included in many documentaries related to Lincoln. It kind of reminds me of the late mythologist Joseph Campbell who wrote about how myths develop into reality over the generations, and how there is usually a hint of truth to the legends. Perhaps Lincoln did relate a dream to Lamon, but how much of it is accurate and how much of it is drama for effect remains to be seen.
You people always get me thinking!

Craig

[LincolnToddFan]

At Peterson House on the night of April 14th 1865 MTL was overheard crying out several times "His dream was prophetic...his dream prophetic"!

I think that would confirm that the "Who Is Dead In The White House?" dream really did take place.

For me, the Lincoln dream that I have always found the most haunting and poignant is the recurring one that he had of himself on a rapidly moving vessel that seemed to be carrying him toward a distant shore. He told his Cabinet on the day he was shot that he'd had it the previous night, and that always in the past it had occurred on the eve of a great Union battle victory. He was so sure that something big and momentous was about to happen...and he was right.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(06-08-2014 10:24 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  At Peterson House on the night of April 14th 1865 MTL was overheard crying out several times "[i]His dream was prophetic...his dream prophetic"!

Never heard this - who/what is the source for this?

---

BTW - did anyone else but G. Welles report about A. L.'s dream of the vessel on which was moving with great speed towards an indefinite shore he allegedly had before certain important events?

[RJNorton]

(06-09-2014 04:11 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  BTW - did anyone else but G. Welles report about A. L.'s dream of the vessel on which was moving with great speed towards an indefinite shore he allegedly had before certain important events?

Eva, yes. Frederick Seward also noted this. It's in Reminiscences of a War-Time Statesman and Diplomat, 1830-1915. With reference to that final Cabinet meeting Frederick Seward wrote:

"The conversation turning upon the subject of sleep, Mr. Lincoln remarked that a peculiar dream of the previous night was one that had occurred several times in his life, — a vague sense of floating — floating away on some vast and indistinct expanse, toward an unknown shore. The dream itself was not so strange as the coincidence that each of its previous recurrences had been followed by some important event or disaster, which he mentioned."

[Eva Elisabeth]

Very interesting, he was the last one I would have expected to provide an account...thanks!