Dispatches from Lincoln's White House: The Anonymous Civil War Journalism of Presidential Secretary William O. Stoddard

by William O. Stoddard, Michael Burlingame (Editor)

Overview

William O. Stoddard's memoirs as President Abraham Lincoln's third secretary reveal a perspective of the president rarely viewed. In this collection of 120 weekly dispatches submitted to the New York Examiner under the pseudonym "Illinois," Stoddard sheds new light on Lincoln and his era.
 
These documents provide commentary on Lincoln's personal circumstances as well as events in Washington and on military, diplomatic, economic, and political developments. Although historians at times differ with Stoddard's accounts, he offers valuable descriptions of Lincoln, insight into the president's thoughts, and commentary on contemporary opinion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803292901
Publisher:	Nebraska Paperback
Publication date:	05/01/2002
Pages:	287
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael Burlingame is Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus at Connecticut College and the editor of Inside the White House in War Times (Nebraska 2000) and A Reporter's Lincoln (Nebraska 1998).

Editorial Reviews

“The book reads much like a diary and it provides a vivid sense of the changing quality of life in the city as the war wore on.”—Christopher H. Sterling, H-Net Reviews

H-Net Reviews - Christopher H. Sterling

"A useful source for historians wanting to understand the connections between the diverse actors who sought to influence the conduct and outcome of the conflict. Dispatches from Lincoln's White House continues Michael's Burlingame's valuable work of editing primary sources related to the Lincoln administration. . . . A comprehensive expression of the Lincoln administration's vision, this carefully annotated collection of dispatches will be useful to both Lincoln scholars and to social and political historians of the Civil War."—Silvana Siddali, The Journal of Southern History

The Journal of Southern History - Silvana Siddali

"Editor Burlingame is a Lincoln authority. . . . In his research, Burlingame discovered that editors of Lincoln books had failed to include valuable material or ignored important sources; hence the present work. . . . [A] treasure trove of information, interpretation, speculation, and Washington gossip, often about cabinet changes. The tone is optimistic, highly favorable to blacks and Lincoln."—Choice

Choice

"In our never-ending quest to interpret Lincoln, writings of his contemporaries are most valuable. They saw and observed Lincoln, sometimes on a daily basis, and thus their musings are noteworthy. Loyal to Lincoln, writing for a partisan newspaper, and a product of his time, Stoddard's declarations are a meaningful contribution to Lincolnian literature."—Patricia Owens, Journal of Illinois History

Journal of Illinois History - Patricia Owens

“The book reads much like a diary and it provides a vivid sense of the changing quality of life in the city as the war wore on.”—Christopher H. Sterling, H-Net Reviews

— Christopher H. Sterling

H-Net Reviews

"In our never-ending quest to interpret Lincoln, writings of his contemporaries are most valuable. They saw and observed Lincoln, sometimes on a daily basis, and thus their musings are noteworthy. Loyal to Lincoln, writing for a partisan newspaper, and a product of his time, Stoddard's declarations are a meaningful contribution to Lincolnian literature."—Patricia Owens, Journal of Illinois History

— Patricia Owens

Journal of Illinois History

"A useful source for historians wanting to understand the connections between the diverse actors who sought to influence the conduct and outcome of the conflict. Dispatches from Lincoln's White House continues Michael's Burlingame's valuable work of editing primary sources related to the Lincoln administration. . . . A comprehensive expression of the Lincoln administration's vision, this carefully annotated collection of dispatches will be useful to both Lincoln scholars and to social and political historians of the Civil War."—Silvana Siddali, The Journal of Southern History

— Silvana Siddali

The Journal of Southern History