THE WIT AND WISDOM OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, PART II

A visitor once asked Lincoln how many men the rebels had in the field. Lincoln replied very seriously, “Twelve hundred thousand, according to the best authority.” The visitor turned very paled and gasped “Good Heavens!” Lincoln continued: “Yes, sir; twelve hundred thousand---no doubt of it. You see, all of our generals, when they get whipped, say the enemy outnumbers them from three or five to one, and I must believe them. We have four hundred thousand men in the field, and three times four makes twelve. Don’t you see it?”

In the well-known story of Lincoln visiting Fort Stevens outside Washington, D.C. during the war while it was under attack, Lincoln stood up to get a better view. The enemy immediately began firing at his tall plug hat. The officer escorting him, young Oliver Wendell Holmes, a future justice of the Supreme Court, grabbed Lincoln by the arm and literally dragged him under cover saying at the same time “Get down you fool!” Realizing what he had said and to whom, Holmes was sure his career was over. But as he left, Lincoln said to him, Good-bye, Captain Holmes. I’m glad to see you know how to talk to civilians.”

In June 1864, Lincoln was nominated for a second term. His friends told him the only way he could be defeated was for General Grant to take Richmond and then run for President. Lincoln told them, “Well, I feel very much like the man who said he didn’t want to die particularly, but if he had to die that was precisely the disease he would like to die of.”

Of course, these are only samples of the many ways in which Lincoln’s wit and humor were used to help and heal. One of the reasons Lincoln is rated so highly is the personal strength he showed in holding the Union together, keeping the fight going when so many wanted to give up and quit. His unique western humor was a source of some of that strength which saved our nation.

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