|
 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.
[to top of second column] |
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] |
