Abraham Lincoln

“The Striking Thing about him was his Affection for the Child.”

Posted on May 5, 2016 Updated on May 12, 2018

  I noticed his sweetness of nature particularly with his little son, a child at that time perhaps seven or nine years old, who used to roam the departments, and whom everybody called Tad. He had a defective palate, and couldn’t speak very plainly. Often I have sat by his father, reporting to him about some important matter that I had been ordered to inquire into, and he would have this boy on his knee; and, while he would perfectly understand the report, the striking thing about him was his affection for the child.

  He was good to everybody. Once there was a great gathering at the White House on New Year’s day, and all the diplomats came in their uniforms, and all the officers of the army and navy in Washington were in full costume. A little girl of mine said, Papa, couldn’t you take me over to see that? I said yes; so I took her over and put her in a corner, where she beheld this gorgeous show. When it was finished, I went up to Mr. Lincoln, and said, I have a little girl here who wants to shake hands with you. He went over to her, and took her up and kissed her and talked to her. She will never forget it if she lives to be a thousand years old. That was the nature of the man. I must tell another story to illustrate the same point.

By Charles A. Dana, Recollections of the Civil War.  Sandburg-397, 267