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| Mock up of a bronze sculpture of Abraham Lincoln in the museum |
Another of the places included in “Off the Beaten Path” that
interested me is the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum. It wasn’t until I
learned that I had ancestors who fought in or supported one side or the other
in the Civil War that I become interested in Lincoln and this segment of
American history. I strongly suspect that the reason my great grandfather left
Virginia for Texas and then California is because his father, who was a
confederate supporter, lost everything after the war.
I’ve downloaded dozens of documents from the Fold3 website –
all associated with the Civil War. Most are about Colonel Daniel Stover Jr.,
and Samuel Murry Stover, both second great uncles, but there are a couple each
for William Stover, my third great grandfather and James Henry Pattillo, a
second great grandfather. Reading these documents is very impactful. It puts
the Civil War into a context that I can feel personally.
So this Lincoln museum is one of the top five Lincoln
museums in the country. It is small and dated compared to new modern museums
but its collection includes several interesting exhibits and artifacts. The
museum is located at the Lincoln Memorial University. The campus is beautiful.
It is situated on a hillside. Each building is brick and monumental. According
to the book, Lincoln “expressed to Gen. Oliver Otis Howard (founder of Howard
University) the hope that after the Civil War, Howard would do something for
these people who have been shut out from the world all these years. He was
referring to the loyal mountain youth of East Tennessee.” Howard founded LMU in
1897 in response to Lincoln’s request.
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| One of several dioramas created by women as part of the Federal Artists Program of the WPA. Scene depicts Lincoln receiving the news that he'd been nominated to run for President, May 1860. |
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| This is a Union Army pharmacy wagon. It's introduction vastly improved how quickly soldiers could be treated in the field and saved many lives. |
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| The only known photograph of Thomas Lincoln ca. 1778. |
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| Portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln painted from the first daguerreotype made of her when she was about 20 years old. |
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| Mary Todd Lincoln's china set. Given to the museum by Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, Lincoln's great grandson and last direct descendant who died in 1985. |
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| Drawing of the cabin the Lincoln family lived in ca. 1814-16. |
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| Another diorama of Lincoln in the field with his commanders. |
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| Civil War photograph taken at Antietam where the bloodiest battle of the war was fought. Nearly 6000 men died that day. Photograph by Alexander Gardner. From the Library of Congress collection. October 3, 1862 |
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| In this diarama Linclon is granting a pardon of this woman's son who was condemned to death for falling asleep while on watch. Apparently Lincoln could not withstand the tears of a grieving woman. |
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| This Catalpa tree has a trunk circumference of 209", is 68' tall and has an average canopy of 82'. The folly in the background was donated by the class of 1936. |
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| For scale you can see my motor home in the background |
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| Avery Hall is the oldest building on the campus |
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| This building was constructed in 1926 |
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| Vista of several campus buildings |
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