Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America

¶ … Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography by William E. Gienapp. Specifically, it will discuss the most interesting and surprising thing discovered after reading this book. The most surprising aspect of the book was he was only 56 when he died, because he appears much older in the portraits and images Americans are familiar with, and that seems to be because the presidency aged him considerably.

Often, modern presidents seem to age dramatically from when they enter the White House to when the leave it, and this seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon based on all the pressures of the office. However, Lincoln's biography proves that is not the case, and that fact was interesting to learn. One of the reasons it aged him was dealing with all the pressures of the Civil War, but there were other reasons, too. For example, an intriguing fact was that he worked so hard. The author writes, "Few presidents have put in longer days, worked harder, or endured greater strain. A government official who called on him early in 1863 observed that he looked 'worn and haggard' and that 'his hand trembled' when he wrote" (Gienapp 128). All this hard work helped age him, and the author said he often skipped meals, too, which would add to the "haggard" looks the author discusses periodically throughout the book.

Also leading to his worries and haggard appearance was the Union forces were not winning major segments of the war. This was surprising, too, because when looking back at history, it seems like the Union had the distinct advantage, and that the South lost most of the battles. This however, was not the case. The author continues, "And in fact, Grant's losses were staggering: 60,000 men in one month of heavy fighting. In the capital the president, haggard and weary from lack of sleep, seemed overburdened with sorrow and anxiety" (Gienapp 161). The president truly cared about the death toll and the outcome of the war, and the office did not have the luxury of PR people such as they have today that could shelter him from the public and coach him on how to cover up his reactions. He was heavily involved in the war and its outcome, and it affected his health and well-being. Another aspect of this was that he sometimes appeared hopeless and even afraid. The author continues, "Visiting him at about this time, his old friend Joshua Speed found him 'jaded and weary.' His friends repeatedly urged him to rest, but Lincoln replied that 'the tired part of me is inside and out of reach" (Gienapp 183). It seems most people know, especially after reading this, that Mary Lincoln was depressed and maybe a little psychotic, but in this passage, Lincoln seems depressed and tired, and a little hopeless, and that is surprising. The myths about Lincoln are that he was strong, determined, and never lost hope, but this book indicates that is not really the case, and it was surprising to discover how sad and lonely he was so much of the time.