Existing comment:
The President's Day:
Afternoon:
Mrs. Lincoln conspired with a White House cook to devise dishes -- like chicken and gravy -- though would afford the president a more substantial lunch than his usual apple, biscuit, and milk. Afterwards, Lincoln returned to his office for additional paperwork or visitors. On rare occasions Lincoln might attend a public lecture at the Smithsonian or on Capitol Hill.
Late Nights:
Lincoln's workday usually extended well into the night. If he was at the Soldier's Home Cottage, he might find time to read aloud from Shakespeare tragedies or volumes of poetry. At the White House, dinner -- often topped off with apple pie -- might be followed by coffee and conversation in the Red Room. Better yet, if old friends were in town, Lincoln indulged in political gossip and storytelling in his office upstairs.
Sunday:
Sundays offered a break from regular office hours, but no respite from the war. Though he never formally joined it, Lincoln often attended services at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Shying away from the role of public theologian, the president remarked humorously, "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." |