Did Lincoln visit Confederate Prisoners?

[Jubilo]

Dear Fellers,

Being high-toned and trendy I am re-reading Gore Vidal's "Lincoln." In it ( page 376), there is a touching discription of Lincoln visiting Confederate wounded prisoners following the Battle of Antietam. I can find nothing on this episode. Is it true? Documented? Thanks for any offerings .

all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[SMOKEHOUSE]

found the following:

http://books.google.com/books?id=f4guAAAAYAAJ&ots=i2TRlXL5ib&dq=inauthor%3 A%22Clifton%20Melvin%20Nichols%22&pg=PA271#v=onepa ge&q&f=false

Life of Abraham Lincoln
By Clifton Melvin Nichols (New York: MAST. CROWELL & KIRKPATRICK, 1896)
Page 271

THE PRESIDENT SHAKING HANDS WITH WOUNDED REBELS.
A correspondent who was with the president on the occasion of a visit to Frederick, Maryland, tells the following incident:
"After leaving General Richardson, the party passed a house in which were a large number of Confederate wounded. By request of the president, the party alighted and entered the building. Mr. Lincoln, after looking, remarked to the wounded Confederates that if they had no objection he would be pleased to take them by the hand. He said the solemn obligations which we owe to our country and posterity compel the prosecution of this war, and it followed that many were our enemies through uncontrollable circumstances, and he bore them no malice, and could take them by the hand with sympathy and good feeling. After a short silence the Confederates came forward and each silently but fervently shook the hand of the president. Mr. Lincoln and General McClellan then walked forward by the side of those who were wounded too severely to be able to arise, and bid them to be of good cheer, assuring them that every possible care should be bestowed upon them to ameliorate their condition. It was a moving scene, and there was not a dry eye in the building, either among the Nationals or Confederates. Both the president and General McClellan were kind in their remarks and treatment of the rebel sufferers during this remarkable interview.

[Frederick14Va]

Matthew
.. Good find!, I had also pondered about that also. I worked on the film version of that book, that included the scene in question. That scene was filmed in an old brick tobacco warehouse building in Richmond Va. We had lots of real amputee extras, Majority recruited from the local Veterans Hospital, who had a blast being able to participate. I mostly did the historical advsor thing and props. Majority of the medical gear present in that scene was from my own collection of original items. Then a couple secondary bit on film fill-ins... Staff Officer on McClellans staff... Presidential guard, a surgeon... etc.. A good majority of the book/film was historical based events... some of it we pondered if some artistic liberty might have been injected. to fill gaps in charactor development or story line, including this scene... Interesting to see that there was an actual account of the event in question...

[SMOKEHOUSE]

Here is a wartime published reference to the incident…

http://books.google.com/books?id=iV8DAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inaut hor:%22William+Makepeace+Thayer%22&source=bl&ots=c cv8THVET8&sig=4L5OTknOenow7JeE0Q_ExdvSKc8&hl=en&sa =X&ei=IBElUJjcBYm49QSR04FY&ved=0CGMQ6AEwBw#v=onepa ge&q&f=false

The character and public services of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States By William Makepeace Thayer (Boston: Dinsmoor and Company, 1864.)
Pages 19-20

A correspondent who was with the President when he visited the wounded soldiers at Frederick, Md., relates that the party passed a house in which there was a large number of Confederate wounded men. At the request of the President, the party entered the building. After Mr. Lincoln had viewed the scene, he remarked to the wounded Confederates, that "he would be pleased to take them by the hand, if 'they had no objections." He said, " The solemn obligations which we owe to our country and posterity compel the prosecution of this war ; and it followed that many were our enemies through uncontrollable circumstances; and he bore them no malice, and could take them by the hand with sympathy and good feeling." After a short silence, the Confederates came forward, and each silently but fervently shook the hand of the President.

Some of their number were too severely wounded to rise: so the President walked forward, and took the hands of those who were not able to walk, and bade them be of good cheer, assuring them that the best of care should be bestowed upon them. It was a very touching spectacle, and beholders wept at the interview. Most of the Confederates, even, were moved to tears by this simple act of kindness.

[indguard]

If Gore Vidal told me the sky was blue, I'd need some credible source to confirm it.

WTH
The GoneButNotMissed mess

[Jubilo]

Dear Fellers,
Thanks for your references. Along with General Huston, I'm sure academics will scoff at such offerings but the 1864 reference could have been repudiated while Lincoln was still alive. Something like this is difficult to document like much of history before the instant electric age. Let us just agree that it would not be out of character for Lincoln to have done such a thing. Lincoln himself a southerner, hated the sin , not the sinner.
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[sigman]

I think Lincoln would be curious to get a look at Confederates. Didn't he venture out to get a look at Early's troops advancing from the "safety" of a fort outside Washington DC?

Andy Siganuk

[Uncle Vern]

I dispute your contention that Lincoln was a Southerner. Is that based entirely on his birth in Kentucky? I would consider him a Midwesterner and he often referred to himself as a "prairie lawyer."

[Quickstep]

I dispute your contention that Lincoln was a Southerner. Is that based entirely on his birth in Kentucky? I would consider him a Midwesterner and he often referred to himself as a "prairie lawyer."

Regardless, his wife had several brothers and a number of friends fighting for the Confederacy. It’s not surprising that he showed compassion for the wounded enemy.

[Uncle Vern]

Regardless, his wife had several brothers and a number of friends fighting for the Confederacy. It’s not surprising that he showed compassion for the wounded enemy.

I do not doubt that Lincoln had compassion for wounded enemy troops (although whether the event in question actually happened appears to remain an open question). What I am questioning is the poster's contention that Lincoln was a Southerner. Since we could easily fill an encyclopedia with opinions regarding "what makes a Southerner a Southerner," I thought it was logical to ask him what he based his opinion on. I will state for the record my opinion that having in-laws who fought for the CSA does NOT make the late President a Southerner. Nor do I believe that being born in Kentucky makes him a Southerner, but I am interested in what the OP thinks and why he believes as he does.