Lincoln's Sanctuary: The Soldiers' Home

Mr. Pinsker talked about his book, Lincoln’s Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home, published by Oxford University Press, which depicts Lincoln and his family moving into a small cottage in Washington, D.C., on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home, a residence for disabled military veterans. Mr. Pinsker described Lincoln’s stay in this cottage and tells the story of the president’s growth as a national leader and a private man. Lincoln lived at the Soldiers' Home for a quarter of his presidency, and for nearly half of the critical year of 1862. This was the first volume to specifically connect this early “summer White House” to key wartime developments, including the Emancipation Proclamation, the firing of McClellan, the evolution of Lincoln’s “Father Abraham” image, the election of 1864, and the assassination conspiracy. Video clips of the cottage were shown as well as historic photographs. close