Sneak Preview of the Prologue
PROLOGUE
A feeling of calm was beginning to descend over the White House. The Civil War had finally come to an end. Although Abraham Lincoln assuredly experienced a keen sense of relief in the knowledge that he no longer had to deal with the horrors of the war, the melancholy that was his constant companion since the death of his son, Willie, had not diminished. He also had to continually bolster his wife Mary’s spirits whenever her thoughts turned to their dearly departed son.
However, all was not downcast within the Executive Mansion. With the winning of the war, Lincoln was now at the pinnacle of his power and popularity with the citizens of the North. There was not only the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, which he deemed his crowning achievement, but also the recent passage of the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery throughout the land. Lincoln was so grateful and relieved that his hard work had led to its adoption, that he had taken the most unusual step of actually signing the amendment, something that was neither required nor customary. He could finally look forward to having the opportunity of being the president of all citizens of the United States.
His focus now turned to the people of the South and the monumental task of Reconstruction. The president wanted to assure the Southerners that he was worthy of their trust and that he intended to put into practice the words he had spoken at his second inauguration. It was his plan to exhibit no malice to the rebellious states and to welcome them back to the Union with charity so as to bind the nation’s wounds and achieve a just and lasting peace.
The conclusion of the war also had a profound effect upon Mary Lincoln. She delighted in the fact that she could finally act as the type of White House hostess she had always envisioned. Now she could arrange for the lavish dinners and levees befitting her position, without fear of continued criticism from the newspapers that she was foolishly spending money on soirées while the boys on the battlefields went without blankets.
But most of all, Abraham and Mary could now look forward to spending their remaining years in peace and tranquility, including making plans for life after the presidency. They often spoke of travelling to California, Europe and the Holy Land and it appeared that they could now actually consider such plans.
However, neither could possibly imagine what lay in store for the president in just a few short days. The nefarious plot being hatched by John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators would be the death knell to the Lincolns’ optimistic and longed-for goals. Now, only divine intervention or an inexplicable presence could alter the course of history and permit Abraham Lincoln to live through his second term.
Alan L. Trock
A feeling of calm was beginning to descend over the White House. The Civil War had finally come to an end. Although Abraham Lincoln assuredly experienced a keen sense of relief in the knowledge that he no longer had to deal with the horrors of the war, the melancholy that was his constant companion since the death of his son, Willie, had not diminished. He also had to continually bolster his wife Mary’s spirits whenever her thoughts turned to their dearly departed son.
However, all was not downcast within the Executive Mansion. With the winning of the war, Lincoln was now at the pinnacle of his power and popularity with the citizens of the North. There was not only the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, which he deemed his crowning achievement, but also the recent passage of the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery throughout the land. Lincoln was so grateful and relieved that his hard work had led to its adoption, that he had taken the most unusual step of actually signing the amendment, something that was neither required nor customary. He could finally look forward to having the opportunity of being the president of all citizens of the United States.
His focus now turned to the people of the South and the monumental task of Reconstruction. The president wanted to assure the Southerners that he was worthy of their trust and that he intended to put into practice the words he had spoken at his second inauguration. It was his plan to exhibit no malice to the rebellious states and to welcome them back to the Union with charity so as to bind the nation’s wounds and achieve a just and lasting peace.
The conclusion of the war also had a profound effect upon Mary Lincoln. She delighted in the fact that she could finally act as the type of White House hostess she had always envisioned. Now she could arrange for the lavish dinners and levees befitting her position, without fear of continued criticism from the newspapers that she was foolishly spending money on soirées while the boys on the battlefields went without blankets.
But most of all, Abraham and Mary could now look forward to spending their remaining years in peace and tranquility, including making plans for life after the presidency. They often spoke of travelling to California, Europe and the Holy Land and it appeared that they could now actually consider such plans.
However, neither could possibly imagine what lay in store for the president in just a few short days. The nefarious plot being hatched by John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators would be the death knell to the Lincolns’ optimistic and longed-for goals. Now, only divine intervention or an inexplicable presence could alter the course of history and permit Abraham Lincoln to live through his second term.
Alan L. Trock
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