abraham lincoln

WTF Fun Fact 13722 – Savannah, Georgia – Lincoln’s Gift

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In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman captured Savannah, Georgia, and presented it as a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln. This marked a pivotal moment in the war and American history.

Sherman’s March and the Preservation of Savannah, Georgia

In his infamous march to the sea, General William Tecumseh Sherman employed harsh tactics that culminated in the burning of Atlanta, a significant act that demoralized the Confederacy and disrupted their supply lines drastically. However, his approach shifted notably as he reached Savannah.

Unlike Atlanta, Savannah was spared from destruction. Sherman found the city’s beauty compelling and decided to preserve it intact. This decision was strategic and symbolic, offering a stark contrast to the devastation left behind in other parts of Georgia.

The fall of Savannah was crucial because it was a key port for the Confederacy, and its capture significantly disrupted southern supply lines.

Sherman’s telegram to President Lincoln encapsulated the significance of this victory. He wrote, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.” This gesture was symbolic, illustrating the shift in the war’s momentum towards the Union forces.

Strategic and Symbolic Importance of Savannah, Georgia

The strategic importance of Savannah’s capture provided the Union with a valuable port and further isolated the southern states. Economically, the seizure of cotton bales disrupted the Confederacy’s ability to trade with European nations, particularly Britain, who relied heavily on Southern cotton.

Symbolically, the gift of Savannah to Lincoln represented hope and victory. It boosted morale among Union supporters and signaled the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. This act also emphasized the power and success of Sherman’s military strategies, which were both revered and reviled.

Implications for the Civil War

The capture of Savannah was a critical component of Sherman’s broader strategy to divide and conquer the Confederacy. By severing the South’s resources and infrastructure, Sherman aimed to hasten the end of the conflict. This approach contributed significantly to the eventual surrender of Confederate forces in April 1865.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “The must-have Christmas gift of 1864” — The National Archives

WTF Fun Fact 13721 – White House Seances

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The White House has witnessed countless events, but few are as intriguing as the séances conducted by Mary Todd Lincoln. These sessions, aimed at contacting the dead, highlight a unique aspect of the Lincoln family’s time in the presidential residence during the tumultuous Civil War era.

Mary Todd Lincoln, deeply affected by the loss of her son Willie in 1862, turned to spiritualism. This movement, wildly popular in the mid-19th century, claimed that the living could communicate with the dead. Spiritualism offered solace to Mary, grappling with grief while her husband led a nation at war.

Séances in the White House

Abraham Lincoln, known for his rationality, seemingly participated in these séances. While some historians suggest he attended out of curiosity, others believe he supported his wife in her grieving process. The presence of mediums in the White House, like Charles Colchester, who Mary believed could channel Willie, stirred both interest and controversy.

Critics and skeptics viewed these practices with suspicion. Yet, for Mary Todd Lincoln, the séances provided a critical coping mechanism. She arranged multiple sessions, often inviting friends and advisors to join. These gatherings took place in the Red Room of the White House, a setting that added to the sessions’ solemn and eerie nature.

Public Reaction and Historical Significance

The public reaction to the First Lady’s involvement with spiritualism was mixed. While it attracted ridicule in some quarters, it also reflected the era’s widespread fascination with the afterlife—a fascination fueled by the high mortality rates of the Civil War and the general preoccupation with death and the beyond.

Historians view these séances as more than mere footnotes in presidential history. They provide insight into the personal struggles faced by the Lincolns and underscore the era’s cultural dynamics. The fact that such practices occurred in the heart of the nation’s capital speaks volumes about the period’s complexities.

Historically, the séances reflect the broader Victorian fascination with death and the afterlife, heightened by the Civil War’s unprecedented death toll. This period saw a surge in spiritualism as Americans sought to find comfort in the possibility of reconnecting with lost loved ones.

The fact that these séances occurred in the White House, with the involvement of a sitting president and his family, highlights the widespread acceptance and intrigue of spiritualism during this time.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Seances in the Red Room” — The White House Historical Association

WTF Fun Fact 12953 – Abraham Lincoln, Licensed Bartender and Wrestling Champ

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While U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was known for being a wrestling champ, it’s less well-known that he was also a licensed bartender. In fact, he co-owned a bar with a friend. Unfortunately, that story had a rather sad ending.

Abraham Lincoln is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame

While he grew up in a log cabin in the Kentucky wilderness and then moved to Illinois as a boy, much of Lincoln’s early life isn’t household knowledge. Take, for example, his wrestling “career.” According to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame:

“In the rough and ready style of the frontier, “catch as catch can” wrestling was more hand-to-hand combat than sport. Lincoln, an awesome physical specimen at 6-feet-4, was widely known for his wrestling skills and had only one recorded defeat in a dozen years.

At age 19, he defended his stepbrother’s river barge from Natchez thugs by throwing the hijackers overboard. Ten years later, Lincoln was a storekeeper at New Salem when his boss backed him to out-wrestle Jack Armstrong, local tough and county champion. From the start, Lincoln handed out a thrashing. When Armstrong began fouling, Lincoln picked up his opponent, dashed him to the ground and knocked him out.”

Lincoln’s bartending career

Lincoln went on to become a lawyer and, eventually, president of the United States. But before his law career took off, he was a shopkeeper and bartender. In fact, he’s the only president to have ever been a licensed bartender.

According to Chicagoist (cited below):

“In January 1833, he partnered with his friend from his militia days, William F. Berry, to purchase a small store, which they named Berry and Lincoln. Stores could sell alcohol in quantities greater than a pint for off-premises consumption, but it was illegal to sell single drinks to consume at the store without a license. In March 1833, Berry and Lincoln were issued a tavern, or liquor, license, which cost them $7 and was taken out in Berry’s name. Stores that sold liquor to consume on the premises were called groceries.”

Unfortunately, the store didn’t work out because of Berry’s alcoholism. He drank the store’s liquor, and the pair’s business fell into debt. “It wasn’t until 1848, when Lincoln was a congressman, that he was able to pay off the whole debt.”

Once Lincoln entered politics, he denied selling alcohol “by the drink,” but people knew. His opponents even poked fun at him over it during debates.

Alas, he’s remembered for other things now. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Bartender-In-Chief: Abraham Lincoln Owned A Tavern” — Chicagoist