This Day in History
Lincoln supposedly wrote this heartfelt note to “the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle” for the Union in the Civil War, praising her for such “a costly sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.” The letter was widely reprinted in newspapers across the country. An original has never surfaced, but there have been many fakes. Historians have long debated whether the text was penned by Lincoln himself or by his assistant private secretary, John Hay.
Mrs. Bixby is said to have destroyed the letter shortly after receiving it, which would be consistent with her alleged Copperhead sympathies. Certainly the original copy sent to her has been lost. However, there is in common circulation a lithographic reproduction of the letter of unknown origin. This copy could suggest that the letter’s destruction was not immediate or that it was made from a forgery.
TEXT OF THE LETTER:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln
The letter was used as a prop in the movie Saving Private Ryan.
