Abe Lincoln's anger revealed in Civil War letter

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27050783/

Missive chastises couple for disloyalty, suggests their reasoning is insane

By Jennifer Viegas
updated 11:59 a.m. CT, Mon., Oct. 6, 2008

Abraham Lincoln's emotions ran high during portions of the Civil War, suggests a newly documented letter, written by the former U.S. president, in which he harshly chastises a couple for disloyalty, at one point even suggesting their line of reasoning is insane.

The letter, written Feb. 13, 1864 to a Mr. and Mrs. Vch (sic) Neagle, only recently surfaced in preparation for an upcoming Sotheby's auction of important U.S. presidential and political books and manuscripts.

Part of the letter reads, "As I understand it your husband … knowingly and willingly helped a rebel to get out of our lines to the enemy to join in fighting and killing our people … You protest, nevertheless, that you and he are loyal, and you may really think so, but this is a view of loyalty which it is difficult to conceive that any sane person could take, and on which the government cannot tolerate and hope to live …"


Getty / Library of Congress
President Abraham Lincoln was trained as a lawyer and normally maintained a sober demeanor but his temper is revealed in a newly surfaced letter.

Selby Kiffer, senior vice president of books and manuscripts at Sotheby's, told Discovery News he thinks Mrs. Neagle "must have approached Lincoln personally," begging him to pardon her husband, who was likely imprisoned for treason.

"Remember that Lincoln was trained as a lawyer, so usually he maintained a more neutral "sober" demeanor, so "it is uncharacteristic for Lincoln to allow himself to become so emotional. His frustration clearly comes out."

The story, however, doesn't end there. When the letter is flipped over, yet another note that Lincoln wrote to himself at a later point is revealed.


Sotheby's
The letter, in which Lincoln harshly chastises a couple for disloyalty, is being auctioned at Sotheby's, and is valued between $250,000 to $350,000.

FULL story at link.

[JVS]

1. Honest Abe should have had those fuckers shot.

Angry letters are not enough.

[Two Americas]

2. a few things should be noted

That letter doesn't seem bad at all to me, and there are many examples of much stronger displays of anger by Lincoln.

A few things should be noted, as explained in the rest of the letter.

While Lincoln was notoriously lenient with deserters, and had in fact just pardoned a deserter right before he wrote this letter, he was not lenient in cases of treason, slave trading and rape.

Also, Lincoln was ill at the time, and it was during probably the lowest point in his administration.

In any case, it seems likely that Mrs. Neagle's request was granted in the end.

[Vickers]

3. There's anger, and then there's righteous anger.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: