On This Day, November 21, 1864

Appearing in a 1930s Collier's magazine, this is a lithographed letter written by President Abraham Lincoln to a "Mrs. Bixby," the mother of five sons killed in the Civil War, dated November 21, 1864. There is some controversy today, though. Some people say Bixby lost "only" two sons, and others say that perhaps an assistant to the President actually wrote the text. Regardless, it's a great piece of history, and we can learn not only grace and dignity from it but also the extremely humbling nature of the Presidency at times. Lincoln dealt with human-crushing stress and soul-crushing responsibility and didn't take a second of it casually.

• To read more about this letter, click over to its Wiki entry, here.

The text:

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.
Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

To all of my loyal artandcolour readers, and to all the new readers that may have just found it today, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!