Lincoln’s Dream (Article 124)

“Although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

Lincoln would often tell others about dreams he had and would try to understand if the illusions held any meaning. Some historians have speculated that he thought the dreams foretold the future, but it is more likely that he understood they just may reflect a concern he carried during the day, which continued the thought process at night; although certainly greatly distorted.

Ward Lamon, Lincoln’s close friend and self-appointed bodyguard, wrote of a conversation Lincoln had with him and Mary, Lincoln’s wife, in early April, 1865, a few days before Lincoln’s death. According to Lamon’s account, Lincoln's wife Mary noticed that the President was in something of a gloomy mood, and, when she inquired, he described a disturbing dream he had earlier that was troubling him. Lamon was often close to Lincoln, even in the White House family quarters; and on this occasion, he was present, as well as another person who Lamon did not name. (According to a later version, one or both of Lincoln’s children may have been present.) Lamon wrote that, within minutes after the conversation he made notes, in an attempt to accurately re-create Lincoln’s words, which he later expanded into a more full account. As Lamon explained, “I give it as nearly in his own words as I can, from notes which I made immediately after its recital."

Lamon quoted Lincoln as saying, "I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers. 'The President,' was his answer; he was killed by an assassin!' Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which awoke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."

Lamon continued with his recollections by commenting that, as if the dream itself wasn't disturbing enough, it was followed by an odd set of coincidences that only deepened the effect on Lincoln. We know that Lincoln read Bible passages almost daily, which offered him a few moments of solitude and time for reflection. After the dream, the next occasion when he opened his Bible, it fell to the twenty-eighth chapter of the Book of Genesis, which told of a wonderous dream experienced by a man named Jacob. Now curious, Lincoln flipped through the Bible again and again and almost every page he opened had a reference to dreams or visions. If Lamon’s recollections are correct, these added circumstances probably increased Lincoln’s discomfort (he said annoyance) about the dream.

However, Lamon’s was not the only written account of the episode and, depending upon who might be telling the story, certain details were different; but the main theme remained the same. The following narrative from a newspaper article did not mention Lamon, but stated that the “President’s family” was present. In this version, Lincoln was reading chapters from the Bible to Mary and “the children” which would have been Tad and Robert. We know that Robert was not at the White House until April 11 as he was on Grant’s staff in Appomattox at the surrender of Robert E. Lee on the 9th and only then came to Washington. (No other individuals are mentioned in this account.) After Lincoln would read a passage, the family would discuss the meaning of the scriptures. One of verses mentioned “dreams” and the family then discussed dreams that each had which seemed, at least to them, may have had some deeper meaning. Mary related dreams about their young son Willie, who had died two years earlier, and said that she often felt his presence for days afterward. When Lincoln mentioned that he had recently had a disturbing dream, Mary and “the children” wanted to hear more about it and Lincoln supposedly said; "About ten days ago I retired one night quite late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front, and could not have been long in bed when I fell into slumber, for I was very weary. During my slumber I began to dream. I thought there was a stillness about me, and I heard weeping. I thought that I got up and wandered down stairs. The same stillness was there. As I went from room to room, I heard moaning and weeping. At length I came to the end room, which I entered, and there before me was a magnificent dais on which was a corpse. Here there were sentries and a crowd of people. I said to one of the soldiers: 'Who is dead at the White House?' He answered: 'The President.' 'How did he die?' I asked. 'By the hand of an assassin,' was the reply. Then I heard a great wailing all over the house, and it was so loud it seemed to awaken me. I awoke much depressed and slept no more that night. Such was my dream."

Later, on the night Lincoln was assassinated and lay unconscious and dying, some accounts of the scene report that Mary Todd said, at one point, "His dream was prophetic." Most recollections of those present indicate that Mary was inconsolable and blurting phrases that might be expected from a wife who just witnessed the murder of her husband. She may have said those words about his dream, which would have had meaning only for her, and possibly for Robert, their oldest son, who was also in the room.

There is no way to know for sure if Ward’s recollection of Lincoln’s comments, or the subsequent newspaper article, is more accurate, but most historians believe that the President had the dream, somewhat as described, and shared with others his “annoyance” at the apparitions.

Ward Lamon was always convinced that there would be attempts on Lincoln’s life and wanted Lincoln to stay away from crowds where he could not be protected, but Lincoln regularly placed himself at risk. He was, as he often said, “The people’s President” and thought that he must be available and move freely among them.

On Wednesday April 12, 1865, Lamon left Washington for Richmond, Virginia, the recently captured Capital of the Confederacy, to assess public sentiment and whether there were any plots being developed against Union forces or the President. Meanwhile, back in Washington, the “Peoples President” and his wife chose to attend a play on the evening of April 14, 1865, when the “dream” became a tragic reality.

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