Explores the psychology, character, and leadership of the sixteenth president as evidenced by six encounters with his constituents, from an awkward meeting with Army officers on the eve of the Civil War to a White House conversation with a fierce abolitionist. "In this absorbing book, Elizabeth Brown Pryor offers new perspectives on our sixteenth president by examining six intriguing, mostly unknown encounters he had with his constituents. Taken...

"Late in 1863 a young painter named Francis B. Carpenter wished to commemorate the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. The likable and well-connected Carpenter received President Lincoln's consent during a visit to the White House. "Well, Mr. Carpenter, we will turn you loose in here," said Lincoln. The painter set up a studio in the state dining room and worked for months in 1864 under a lighted chandelier. It was a marvelous opportunity to...