The Lincoln Memorial and accompanying readings

We read Lincoln's biography by William E. Gienapp. I felt the book was very insightful, not to mention interesting. I already knew that Lincoln came from humble beginnings, but I had no idea just how humble they were. Not only was he an extremely intelligent individual, but he knew the meaning of a hard day's work. This is more than can be said for most politicians of his day. I think the hard labor he did as a child may have influenced his negative opinion of slavery as an adult. I mean enduring back-breaking labor to help your family is hard enough, but imagine working all day for someone else's benefit.

Lincoln's military strategies, while elementary, were also impressive considering he never had any formal military training or instruction. His realization that limited war was not going to be enough to defeat the Confederacy probably saved the Union. His decision to place Grant at the head of the Union Army also served the country well. He once answered criticism about General Ulysses S. Grant's drinking habits with the reply "I can't spare this man, he fights." And according to Lincoln's biography, Grant and his second in command, William Tecumseh Sherman, were two of the few Union Generals willing to take the fight to the Confederacy. And thank goodness they did!

But I won't bore you with too many more details about Lincoln's military mind. Back to the Memorial. Our class went to the Lincoln Memorial on Lincoln's birthday. This should explain the flowers in the picture. That's my friend Kareka in the picture with me.