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Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated With Our Greatest President

by Edward Steers, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 2007, 264 pages, $24.95.

With apologies to Thomas Jefferson, FDR and, yes, Ronald Reagan, the “Holy Trinity” of U.S. presidents in the public consciousness generally includes George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. All have grown in stature since their deaths, and their legacies have been surrounded by countless myths, legends and at times downright falsehoods. From the mythical “cherry tree” of Washington’s boyhood to the “grassy knoll” of the Kennedy assassination, these icons have taken on an aura of sainthood that seems to separate them from the other mere mortals who happened to occupy the White House. The three have also suffered due to the money-making schemes of others, as well as fabrications by people desperate to tie their names to the memories of great men or simply make a profit from them. How many places, on the barest of evidence, have a sign reading “Washington Slept Here”?

None, however, has seen his legend grow or be exploited more than our 16th president. Lincoln has been the subject of numerous books through the years, designed either to lionize him as a saint or degrade him as a tyrant. Both genres generally fall short of the truth. He has also been used to promote causes to which he never had any ties. These shams have falsified his sex life, his married life, and even his sanity, all in the name of some cause, or simply to make a profit.

In his new book Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated With Our Greatest President, Edward Steers takes on 14 of the more interesting—and in at least one case obnoxious—legends surrounding Lincoln. The author of many books on the nation’s 16th president, Steers is eminently qualified for this task. His reputation as a researcher who strives to portray the truth is well known. Although Steers’ book is not comprehensive, it covers most of the major ground, and a wide range of subjects. The controversies begin with Lincoln’s birth and follow his life through the assassination.

Many of the questions about Lincoln in Steers’ book should be familiar, but some may surprise or even offend. Does the cabin at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site contain more logs from the birth cabin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis than that of the great emancipator? Was Lincoln a Christian? Are some of the more famous quotes associated with Lincoln really his? Was he a homosexual? Did he actually write the famous letter to Mrs. Bixby, which was the inspiration for the movie Saving Private Ryan, or was it written by someone else? These are only a sampling of the topics Steers covers.

Lincoln Legends is a worthy addition to the library of anyone interested in learning the truth about Lincoln and his heritage.

 

Originally published in the April 2008 issue of Civil War Times. To subscribe, click here