A cheering, singing crowd of hundreds gathered on the White House lawn, with rolls of intense applause greeting Lincoln’s appearance at the window of the second-floor balcony in the North Portico. Lincoln’s speech on the evening of Tuesday, April 11-one of the rare formal addresses he delivered during his presidency-would reflect his uneasy state of mind. Having had similar dreams on the eves of Antietam, Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Lincoln apparently considered this one a good omen, believing it a sign that Confederate General Joe Johnston would soon surrender to William T. When he asked one of the soldiers who the corpse belonged to, the man replied “The President…he was killed by an assassin!” In another of Lincoln’s dreams, he was on a ship moving rapidly through the water towards a vast and unknown shore. In one, he encountered a large group of soldiers and citizens in mourning before a shrouded figure in the East Room of the White House. According to what he told his wife and others close to him, disturbing dreams visited Lincoln in the early spring of 1865. With Union victory on the horizon, the president’s mood was somber, even as the capital’s joyful hubbub swirled below him. Our adversaries over the way attempted to appropriate it, but I insisted yesterday that we fairly captured it.” As the crowd laughed and cheered, Lincoln added, “It is good to show the rebels that with us they will be free to hear it again.” “I have always thought ‘Dixie’ one of the best tunes I have ever heard. ![]() As consolation, he issued a special request for the Marine band. In response to their cries of “Speech!” Lincoln demurred, saying he would deliver an address the following evening, after he had adequate time to prepare. On the evening of April 10, 1865, a crowd of some 3,000 people gathered outside the White House, hoping for some rousing words from their president. With the fall of Petersburg and Richmond, and Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox, Washington was consumed by celebration.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |