The Civil War & Rebuilding the Nation: 1861-1909
Abraham Lincoln
Term: 1861-1865, Republican Party
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Political Debates Between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas in the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois. Columbus: Follet, Foster & Co., 1860.
Political Debates begins with Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech, in which he says that if the country continues to fight, our nation will not survive. In addition, this book collects Lincoln’s debates covering the key topics of the day, including slavery and abolition, the Dred Scott case, popular sovereignty, and the future of the country. Jesse Lynch, to whom Lincoln inscribed this copy, was associated with Lincoln when he was a US representative.
NF
Abraham Lincoln
Term: 1861-1865, Republican Party
Hermann Haupt. Military Bridges: With Suggestions of New Expedients and Constructions for crossing Streams and Chasms; including, also, Designs for Trestle and Truss Bridges for Military Railroads. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1864.
Publisher D. Van Nostrand presented this copy of Military Bridges to Abraham Lincoln, who then presented the volume to Civil War General J.B.S. Todd, Chief of Engineers with the Army of the Potomac. Todd held this gift in such high esteem that he carried this book in his saddle bag during the war (as you can see by the condition of the binding).
NF
Abraham Lincoln
Term: 1861-1865, Republican Party
Oliver Goldsmith. The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, with an Account of His Writings. Edited by Washington Irving. Philadelphia: J. Crissy and Thomas Cowperthwait, 1838.
Abraham Lincoln received this collection of Irish author Oliver Goldsmith’s works from his brother-in-law Ninian W. Edwards shortly after it was published. In 1861, Lincoln gave the book to his law partner (and later biographer) William Henry Herndon, who in turn gifted the book to the women’s rights activist Caroline Healey Dall in 1869. Dall noticed—and noted—that Lincoln had pinned pages 305-308: a section with a poignant—and seemingly influential—reflection on slavery.
ST
Andrew Johnson
Term: 1865-1869, Democratic Party
John Savage. The Life and Public Services of President Andrew Johnson, Seventeenth President of the United States. Including His State Papers, Speeches and Addresses. New York: Derby & Miller, 1866.
This book collects speeches and documents from Andrew Johnson’s presidency. Johnson gave it to George Francis Train, a world-traveling entrepreneur.
SF
Ulysses S. Grant
Term: 1869-1877, Republican Party
The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated out of the Original Tongues; and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. New York: American Bible Society, 1863.
This book is one of the Grant family’s Bibles. Ulysses S. Grant acquired this Bible in the final months of the Civil War and later gave it to his son. The Bible was passed down in the Grant family from generation to generation all the way through Jane Grant in 1922.
NF
Ulysses S. Grant
Term: 1869-1877, Republican Party
Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. New York: Charles L. Webster and Company, 1885-1886. Two volumes.
Ulysses S. Grant wrote his memoirs during the last year of his life and completed them only just before his death in July 1885. Although he discusses his personal life, Grant’s memoirs focus on the main two wars of his lifetime: the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. Grant’s friend, the author Mark Twain is supposed to have helped him write this book. Twain presented this copy to his secretary Miss Fanny C. Hess.
NF
Rutherford B. Hayes
Term: 1877-1881, Republican Party
Rutherford B. Hayes. Letters and Messages of Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States. Washington, 1881.
This book, Letters and Messages of Rutherford B. Hayes, collects speeches and important documents from his presidency. This copy was given to Albert L. Sturtevant, a career public servant who worked in the Treasury Department.
SF
James Garfield
Term: 1881, Republican Party
A Visit to the Cathedral of Antwerp. Antwerp, Belgium: J-B. Van Aarsen, 1858.
A Visit to the Cathedral of Antwerp was a keepsake from James Garfield’s trip to Belgium in 1867.
Chester A. Arthur
Term: 1881-1885, Republican Party
William Arthur. An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. With an Essay, on Their Derivation and Import. New York: Sheldon Blakeman & Co., 1857.
Although presidents often present their own books as gifts, Chester A. Arthur gave this copy of his father’s Etymological Dictionary to Judge McClure instead. He likely did this because he didn’t write any books of his own.
SF
Grover Cleveland
Term: 1885-1889; 1893-1897, Democratic Party
Edgar Allan Poe. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe in Four Volumes. Vol. III. New York: W.J. Widdleton, 1861.
This book, Grover Cleveland’s copy of a volume of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, has a lot of significance in my family because my grandmother collects Poe’s works and created an exhibition based on his writing.
NF
Benjamin Harrison
Term: 1889-1893, Republican Party
Honoré de Balzac. The Deputy of Arcis. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1896.
Benjamin Harrison’s copy of The Deputy of Arcis by Honoré de Balzac is signed twice by the President: one on a front flyleaf and one on the title page.
SF
William McKinley
Term: 1897-1901, Republican Party
William McKinley. Speeches and Addresses of William McKinley from March 1, 1897 to May 30, 1900. New York: Doubleday & McClure Co., 1900.
This collection of speeches from William McKinley’s first term as president is inscribed to B. F. Barnes, a stenographer who served as Executive Clerk in McKinley’s White House.
ST
Theodore Roosevelt
Term: 1901-1909, Republican Party
Theodore Roosevelt. Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905. Number 1/200 copies, signed by Roosevelt.
In his book Outdoor Pastimes, Theodore Roosevelt talks about his hunting and his exploration of Yellowstone, where he spent two weeks – the longest for any president. This is Roosevelt’s copy, with his bookplate on the front pastedown.
SF