Existing comment:
Edwin Stanton
Photograph, ca 1865
In his official capacity as Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton was described by a contemporary as "honest, warm-hearted... hateful, and cruel." An ambitious man, Stanton secured a cottage on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home for his family, which put the Stantons and the Lincolns in close contact with each other. The two families shared triumphs and tragedies and Lincoln's relationship with Secretary Stanton developed into a personal and professional one that was essential to the nation's survival. |