By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2023-2024, All Rights Reserved
Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the October 2023 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.
Many Americans think of Abraham Lincoln as our greatest president, including me and I’m sure a lot of others in the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable. There are numerous reasons that can be given for this. For example, Lincoln steered the country through an unprecedented civil war that in many ways defines our country to this day. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He set the tone for a peaceful end to the war. He listened to his advisors, he made wartime decisions based on learned experience and the self-study of military strategy, and he understood the need not to vanquish the southern enemy because those who rebelled were still Americans. The list could go on and on. Lincoln did the things that made him great under extreme pressure from many and varied directions. Sensing this pressure, Lincoln, for his personal well-being and to unknowingly help cultivate that greatness, sought and found a way to relieve some of the wartime pressure, escape the capital, and clear his mind; he gathered his family at a summer retreat at what became known as the “Lincoln Cottage.” After our excellent annual field trip to Manassas, that was planned by Roundtable President Bob Pence, I had the pleasure of taking the opportunity to visit the cottage.
Lucinda Prout Janke, in her book A Guide to Civil War Washington, D.C., states, “The President would spend about a quarter of his presidency sleeping at the relative calm of the United States Soldiers’ Home but not until the second summer of the war.” The Lincoln Cottage is located about three miles from the White House. The modern-day address is 140 Rock Creek Church Road, Northwest, not far from Silver Springs. While there, Lincoln would depart on his horse in the morning for the White House and return in the evening. At first he was unescorted, but later Lincoln was obliged by the White House to include a cavalry escort. As many Civil War enthusiasts might recall, Lincoln was generally averse to security measures throughout his presidency and generally resisted such formalities. States Janke in her book, “Two incidents provided incentive for better protection. In one case, Lincoln’s trademark stovepipe hat was hit by a bullet; the other was probable intentional damage to a carriage that led to an accident that injured Mrs. Lincoln, most likely not the intended target.” The docent at the Lincoln Cottage described about 100 troops bivouacked on the lawn at a reasonable distance to protect the president.
The cottage was built in the Gothic Revival style over two years starting in 1842 by George Washington Riggs. He went on to found the Riggs National Bank in Wahington, D.C., which still exists today. The docent explained that in 1862 the surrounding area was a dairy farm. Doris Kearns Goodwin, in her book Team of Rivals, describes the cottage this way: “The Soldiers’ Home, situated on almost 300 acres in the hills…north of the city…was created as a retirement community for disabled veterans…it consisted of a main building that could accommodate 150 boarders, an infirmary, a dining hall, and administrative offices. The property also encompassed a number of spacious cottages, including the two-story brick house where the Lincoln family would stay. Known as the Anderson Cottage…before the federal government purchased the property.”
President Buchanan had been the first president to seek the site with its higher elevation and cool breeze as relief from the oppressive heat of Washington. Some referred to it as an “earthly paradise.” States Goodwin, “The beautiful gravel walks and winding carriage ways, all of which were open to the public, had become a choice destination for Washingtonians out for weekend rides in their carriages.” The site gave Lincoln a view of about 12 miles over Washington, the incomplete Capitol dome, the Potomac River, Alexandria, Arlington, Georgetown, and the forts that protected the U.S. capital from Confederate invasion along the hills south of the river.
Mary Todd Lincoln was clearly fond of the cottage. Goodwin’s book notes her as writing, “We are truly delighted, with this retreat; the drives and walks around here are delightful and each day, brings it visitors.” It was a godsend for Tad Lincoln, whose close companionship with his brother Willie ended when Willie died of typhoid fever at the White House. Says Goodwin, “His lively, cheerful disposition earned Tad the affection of the soldiers assigned to guard his father. They dubbed him a ‘3rd Lieutenant allowing him to join in their drills during the day and their meals around the campfire at night.'” Mary Todd wrote of their oldest son Robert, “We consider it a pleasant time for us, when his vacations (from Harvard College) roll around, he is very companionable.” During the first summer at the cottage, Mary Todd began visiting area hospitals, which helped alleviate some of her own personal depression.
Lincoln also did important work at the cottage, such as writing the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. A replica of the desk that Lincoln used is in the room and spot where that first draft is thought to have been written; the original desk is currently located in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House. Similar to his routine at the White House, Lincoln had an open-door policy for visitors. The docent noted a prominent visitor from England, whose goal was to vacation in the United States, see Niagara Falls, and meet the president at his summer home. This visitor successfully did them all – and the record shows a rousing conversation with the president in the cottage parlor.
The Soldiers’ Home where the cottage was located also served as a burial site for thousands of soldiers during the war and, as such, was a constant reminder to Lincoln of the human cost of the war. While there, according to the docent, Lincoln regularly fraternized with the security detail soldiers on site and often passed the time playing checkers with them. Sometimes he even invited soldiers onto the back porch for refreshments. The docent remarked that Lincoln relaxed in his slippers on the wide porch overlooking the grounds or in the parlor and recited poetry or read aloud from one of his favorite authors. In short, the cottage provided “precious privacy and space for conversation among family and friends.”
If you would like to go yourself, I recommend that you approach it from the north off of Interstate 495 through Silver Springs. On arrival, you will be greeted at a guard gate and asked to show your identification. You will then be directed to a secure parking lot inside the grounds, walk to the visitor center, and buy a ticket for a guided tour which is the only way to see the inside of Lincoln’s Cottage. While waiting for the tour, there is an excellent museum for browsing.
In the December 2023 history brief, I will discuss my visit to Fort Stevens, which is near the cottage and which is where Lincoln historically came under fire during Confederate General Jubal Early’s attack on the U.S. capital in 1864.
Click on the book links on this page to purchase from Amazon. Part of the proceeds from any book purchased from Amazon through the CCWRT website is returned to the CCWRT to support its education and preservation programs.