“Lovers of Liberty, Take Courage” series at Lincoln Heritage Museum
Noah Brooks talks about his intimate relationship with the Lincoln Family

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[July 15, 2017]   LINCOLN - On Saturday afternoon, Lincoln College Professor and Abraham Lincoln historian Ron Keller took on the persona of Civil War era Washington news correspondent Noah Books. Keller’s interpretation was the third and final segment in a series of interviews with Jean Gossett entitled “Lovers of Liberty, Take Courage,”

At the opening of the event, Gossett welcomed a full house of guests there to see the interpretation. She noted that she felt the volunteers on hand had been a little optimistic with the number of chairs that had been set up for audience members, but she was delighted to see the majority of them filled.



Gossett explained that for this interpretation the year would be 1874, ten years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The man who she would be talking with in this age was an editor for the New York Times. However, in 1862 he had been a correspondent working for a California newspaper, and assigned to Washington DC.

She said that in history, today’s guest was somewhat of a mystery. She said Noah Brooks was one who though he had a relationship with the president and was a part of the presidential history, he had “fallen through the cracks” with many historians.

Brooks’ history with Lincoln pre-dates the 1862 assignment. Brooks and Lincoln first met in 1856, when at that time, both men resided in Illinois. Brooks would later tell about that meeting as well as many other stories about the time he spent with the Lincoln family. Gossett wrapped up her introduction of Brooks saying that it is often said, “What William Herndon was to Lincoln in his earlier years; Noah Brooks was to Lincoln in his White House years.”
 



 

Gossett introduced Brooks and asked him to introduce himself by sharing some of his history. Brooks would be happy to do so, but not before commenting that he was surprised that Jean Gossett was a woman reporter interviewing on a political topic. After offering Gossett a job on his newspaper, he moved on to the topic at hand.

Noah Brooks was born in Castine, Maine, a beautiful place he said that he loved.

Brooks said that the newspaper business was not a career he got into right away. He tried his hand at skilled labor, but was not all that successful. He traveled from Maine to Boston, Massachusetts. Hearing that Illinois was a great new state full of opportunity, he headed to Illinois in 1848, and in 1856 he worked as a reporter for the Dixon Telegraph. He married while in Illinois, but moved on to Kansas, but did not fare well there, so they returned to Illinois. Next, he and his wife headed to California. While in California, he went to work for the Sacramento Union. He also lost his wife in childbirth while in California.

In 1862 he was asked if he would like to be the Washington correspondent for the Union, and he accepted that offer and went off to Washington.

Brooks would go on to tell that he had seen Lincoln while with the Dixon paper, during a political rally. After the rally, he met with Lincoln and they spent a good time together.
 


Once he was in Washington, and ready to meet the President, he was surprised that Lincoln remembered him four years earlier, but he did, and the two men built a relationship from that point that put Brooks in the position of being a friend and a confidant. Brooks took pride in his relationship with the President, because he said, as is common with most Presidents, Lincoln was not typically fond of members of the press, and distrusted many of them.

Brooks recounted the first meeting in Washington, “It had been six years since I had seen him. On a Sunday morning he was worshiping at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. I took a seat in the gallery and he was positioned in the front row. I must tell you, I was struck. His face was very pale, his eyes were sad, they were quite gloomy. He had aged ten years in that time period.”

When he heard that I was in town, he sent for me, and talking to him, I found that he was the same old Lincoln spinning yarns and telling tales. In fact, when he heard that I was in town and he sent for me and I met with him and I said, I don’t know if you remember me Mr. President, I’m Noah Brooks. He took his hat and slapped me on the knee and said ‘how could I forget an old acquaintance like you? Did you think I would forget you?”

That marked the renewal of a friendship that would continue throughout the remainder of Lincoln’s life.

Kind hearted, gentle. No man who ever knew Abraham Lincoln could ever be his enemy, he was so kind hearted to all people.
 

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Brooks’ relationship with the President, plus his profession, took him into the Oval Office two to three times per week. He recalled that from the first day to the end, Lincoln referred to him simply as “Brooks.” The President also did not like being called “Mr. President,” and asked that Brooks refer to him as “Lincoln” when they were in private conversation, and reserve the formalities only when in official situations.

Brooks talked about the man who was always kind. He recalled Lincoln’s reluctance one day to tell staff that they had forgotten to bring him his morning coffee with his breakfast.

Brooks also talked about a particular day when the President was broody and silent. Brooks sat in the room un-noticed for perhaps thirty minutes. Lincoln sat with his head down contemplating. When he looked up he immediately shook Brooks’ hand and apologized for having a very bad morning.

Brooks talked about how the defeats of the Union Army in the early portion of the Civil War had wounded the President, and how that Lincoln carried the burden of every life lost. Brooks shared how that the defeat at Chancellorsville in 1862 had impacted the President. Lincoln had received a telegraph from the battle front reporting the defeat and the lives lost. Brooks said, “And all he could do was pace back and forth in his office, his hands clasped behind his back, saying ‘What will the country say? My God! What will the country say?”

Lincoln also had a sense of humor in his situation from time to time. Brooks explained that people would come to Lincoln seeking something, men wanting jobs, mothers wanting reprieves for their sons would not be executed. Brooks recounted that one day he visited Lincoln, and the President was having a sneezing fit. He told Brooks that he had a pretty bad cold, to which Brooks said he was sorry to hear it. Lincoln on the other hand said, “I’m happy I have a cold.” Brooks asked why, and the president replied “Because I finally have something I can give everyone!”
 



Brooks also spoke about Mary Lincoln, saying that he felt she was abused by the press, and that no matter what she did, she could do nothing right.

Brooks also admitted that Lincoln had asked him to report to him the events of the 1864 conventions. While some might have said this was a breach of etiquette, Lincoln felt he needed to know what was happening, and Brooks was happy to oblige.

The Lincoln’s son Tad, Brooks said, was the life of the party all the time. Full of energy and always coming up with something smart to say or mischievous to do, and having the wit of his father. Brooks recounted the pardoning of “Jack the Turkey” by the President at the request of his young son.

Carrying the story further, Brooks recounted, Jack was a pet of Tad’s. In 1864 during the election, while on a family trip with Jack tagging along, the Lincoln’s witnessed the soldiers lined up to cast their votes on election day. There at the feet of the soldiers was Jack. Tad drew his pet to the attention of his father and Lincoln asked if Tad thought Jack was going to cast a vote. Tad quickly replied “No Father! He’s not old enough!”

Keller, portraying Noah Brooks, would spend the greater part of one hour discussing his experiences in the presence of the beloved President. He would tell stories of great sorrow as well as moments of levity, and talk about the day the president was killed. He would note that he too was among some of the friends who could have very well been present on the assignation night, and often wished he had been with his dear friend in those last moments.

Keller would then revert back to his modern-day self as a Lincoln historian and talk about the books that were written by Brooks, and field questions from the audience.

At the conclusion of the program, Gossett noted again that this had been a rare opportunity to hear from someone who was little known in the history books. She said that while many knew the value of such historical characters as U.S. Grant, this audience had learned much about a great lover of liberty that few others had heard of.

[Nila Smith]

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