publications

Seeing Lincoln: Civil War Veterans Remember

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in February of 1925 was celebrated by the History Club of Kearney State Teachers College with a dinner attended not only by members of the club, but by several honored guests who had seen Lincoln during their Civil War military service. The Kearney Daily Hub of February 17, 1925, noted that the club, originally sponsored by Buffalo County historian Samuel Clay Bassett, “believes these reminiscences of old soldiers of interest to the people of the nation, since all too soon there will no longer be these first hand stories of the martyred president.”



The club had issued a meeting and dinner invitation to any local person who had seen Lincoln during the Civil War. “Two men, both of the G.A.R., Lorenzo Smith and John Mercer, responded to the invitation, and after the dinner, were asked if they would not tell the young people something of their reminiscences. Mr. Smith responded with a little speech, while Mr. Mercer preferred simply to visit with the club members, telling them of things they asked about.



“Mr. Mercer, who served on board the gunboat ‘Miami,’ stationed at City Port [City Point], Va., saw Lincoln first when he came to interview Grant, and the two journeyed up the James river in the direction of Lee’s lines to look over the situation. He recalled the later sorrow among the soldiers when word came of the assassination of the president, and described with feeling the mourning guns which boomed every thirty minutes until after the funeral. . . .



“Mr. Smith first saw the president after the battle of Antietam, and said he thought him the hom[e]liest man he had ever seen, for he contrasted most unfavorably on horseback with the trim figure of McLellan [Gen. George B. McClellan]. But when he saw him again, some time later, Mr. Smith said he did not think the president homely at all.”



Two stories about Lincoln were new to members of the History Club. “During the summer of ’64, one of the old men, both of them over eighty, said at noon every day, if one shut out the sun with his hand, he could see a star, as bright as Mars, shining near the sun. The soldiers called it ‘The Star of Peace.’



“At the time of Lincoln’s second inauguration, related Mr. Smith, there was little ostentation. A short parade of soldiers preceded Mr. Lincoln’s stepping out onto the balcony with the chief justice, preparatory to taking the oath of office. . . . [A]s the president and his chief justice stepped out, a drizzling rain fell. But as Lincoln and the chief justice stepped apart, and Lincoln raised his hand to take the oath which would again make him president, the clouds broke, and a ray of sunlight lit the rugged features of the man, and played on his head during the ceremony. ‘It was heaven’s sign of approval,’ declared Mr. Smith solemnly.”



Men such as Smith and Mercer became increasingly rare in Nebraska as the twentieth century progressed. The last Civil War veteran in the state, Michael Bondoll of Beatrice, died on December 24, 1948.



 



GAR badge



This colorful GAR badge is from Hastings, Nebraska. NSHS 13000-3348



 



monument

The Soldiers Monument of Kearney, near the Midway Hotel, was dedicated October 25, 1910, and honored veterans of both the Civil War and the Spanish American War. It is surmounted by a volunteer soldier of the Civil War, with arms at rest to symbolize peace. NSHS RG2608-2962

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.