A century and a half ago, during the closing months of the Civil War, Harper’s Weekly, an influential magazine, continued its coverage of the conflict – and its support of the Northern cause. Many times, that support was shown through images of the American flag. One of the most striking shows Abraham Lincoln as a… continue
Raising the American flag is a common activity for presidents, including Abraham Lincoln. But he had to skip one such occasion, even though he had promised to be there. It happened less than a year after his inauguration in March 1861. Six months later, after the first battles of the War Between the States had… continue
On the Fourth of July 1864 – 150 years ago – Mary Wadsworth sat down in her Washington, D.C., home and began writing to Abraham Lincoln. With thoughts of Gettysburg and another, more recent Civil War battle, she wanted a favor, and her appeal included references to her late husband and the U.S. flag. Mary’s… continue
By James Breig This year’s Fourth of July marks not only the 237th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, but also the 150th anniversary of two seminal battles of the Civil War: Gettysburg and Vicksburg. If you subtract 150 from 237, you get a number associated with Abraham Lincoln. The twin historic conflicts, which spanned… continue