February 09, 2010
Abraham Lincoln came to visit, stopping in during his annual trek to the battle stricken area of Olustee. "Honest Abe" as he is fondly recalled, told about his background coming up as a son of a poor Kentucky farmer.
Never being quite satisfied with his lot in life, at an early age began to seek out opportunity in business first, but alas his partners propensity to drink up the profits and his own lack of attention caused the failure of his shop. Deeply in debt and without a way to pay back the $1100 he owed his creditors, he convinced them to be patient and eventually Honest Abe made good on his debt and paid back every penny, of course it took until he was elected to the Illinois state legislature to make good on his promise.
Over the course of the next few years, he spent 4 terms in office and eventually retired, happy to return to his family life and the law practice that he had been neglecting. Soon after the passage of the Kentucky-Nebraska act, he decided to take on Stephen Douglas for the congressional seat. Despite an initial loss, he was soon nominated to the vice presidency and later to the presidency which he won after the defection of an opponent's supporter.
The culmination of the life led by him ended tragically in Ford Theater at the hand of John Wilkes Booth. He is hesitant to guess what the state of our nation might be now had he not been so cowardly attacked that fateful evening. The country had a deep respect for the man who might nearly have lost the Union, yet 6 weeks into his second term. Lincoln died the next morning, succombing to the gunshot wound to the head. Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton commented "He now belongs to the ages".
