On this episode of Our American Stories the story of how President Abraham Lincoln used a telegraph to secure the win of the Civil War Larry Reed President Emeritus of FEE tells the harrowing story of a dark time in American history for our Rule of Law series Our regular contributor from Delaware Brent Timmons shares the story of spending time with his Uncle Bud in his last days Regular contributor Bill Bryk tells about the exciting and frightening experience of figuring out equestrian basics after decades Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate nbsp Time Codes nbsp - [... more]

During the American Civil War President Abraham Lincoln once found himself wanting to please a politician so he issued a command to transfer certain Union Army regiments When the secretary of war Edwin Stanton received the order he refused to carry it out He said that the president was a fool Lincoln was told what Stanton had said and he replied ldquo If Stanton said I rsquo m a fool then I must be for he is nearly always right I rsquo ll see for myself rdquo As the two men talked the president quickly realized that his decision was [... more]

During the American Civil War the penalty for desertion was execution But the Union armies rarely executed deserters because their commander-in-chief Abraham Lincoln pardoned nearly all of them This infuriated Edwin Stanton the Secretary of War who believed that Lincoln rsquo s leniency only enticed would-be deserters But Lincoln empathized with soldiers who had lost their nerve and who had given in to their fear in the heat of battle And his empathy endeared him to his soldiers They loved their ldquo Father Abraham rdquo and their affection led the soldiers to want to serve Lincoln all the more When [... more]