Lincoln’s son Robert was studying at Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the old line prep schools of New England. He had applied for Harvard, but he did not make the grade, so he was advised to do a year at prep. After his studies at Exeter, Robert was admitted to Harvard.
The Town Hall looks ancient today, but when Lincoln visited in 1860 it was brand new. The building had begun construction just five years earlier and it was dedicated in 1856. The hall was large for a small town. It could hold 500 people for meetings.
Lincoln’s visit to New hampshire came soon after his famous speech in New York City at Cooper Union. He had drawn national attention with that pre-campaign speech in front of a huge Eastern audience.
The Town Hall was topped by a statue of Lady Justice. The local newspaper News-Letter jokingly said that “Since the elevation of Justice, which we confess looks perplexed at its location, on the dome of that multum in parvo building – the Town House, Court House, etc., the community, having the fear of her two-edged sword and scales before their eyes, are walking soberly and discreetly, and if vice is still abroad she shrinks into cellars or retreats behind the good lady’s back.”
One of Robert Lincoln’s classmates later recalled seeing Lincoln at Exeter, saying Abraham was “tall, lank, awkward; dressed in a loose, ill-fitting, black frock coat, with black trousers, ill-fitting, and somewhat baggy at the knees…His hair was rumpled, his neckwear was all awry…. Mr. Lincoln’s legs were so long he had trouble in disposing of them and twisted them about under the chair to get them out of the way. One of the boys leaned over and whispered, ‘Don’t you feel kind of sorry for Bob?’ We did not laugh. We were sympathetic for Bob because his father did not make a better appearance. The girls whispered to each other: ‘Isn’t it too bad Bob’s got such a homely father.’ …[Lincoln] rose slowly, untangled those long legs from their contact with the rounds of the chair, drew himself up to his full height of six feet, four inches, and began his speech. Not ten minutes had passed before his uncouth appearance was absolutely forgotten by us boys and, I believe, by all of that large audience. For an hour and a half he held the closest attention of every person present…his face lighted up and the man was changed. There was no more pity for our friend Bob; we were proud of his father; and when the exercises of the evening were over…we were the first to mount the platform and grasp him by the hand. I have always felt that this was one of the greatest privileges of my life.”
In most early photos of the Town Hall that I have seen, it is covered in snow, as it was when I visited seven years ago. I did not see any horse drawn sleighs though.
Lincoln wrote to his wife Mary from Exeter filling her in on his travels around New Hampshire.
Here is a transcription of the letter:
Exeter, N.H. March 4, 1860
Dear Wife:
When I wrote to you before I was just starting on a little speech making tour, taking the boys with me. On Thursday they went with me to Concord, where I spoke in daylight, and back to Manchester where I spoke at night. Friday we came down to Lawrence, the place of the Pemberton Mill tragedy, where we remained four hours awaiting the train back to Exeter. When it came, we went upon it to Exeter where the boys got off, and I went on to Dover and spoke there Friday evening. Saturday I came back to Exeter, reaching here about noon, and finding the boys all right, having caught up with their lessons.
Bob has a letter from you saying Willis and Teddy were very sick the Saturday night after I left. Having no response from you, and having one from Springfield, of Wednesday from Mr. Fitzhugh, saying nothing about our family, I think the dear little fellows are well again.
This is Sunday morning; and according to Bob’s orders, I am to go to Church once today. Tomorrow I bid farewell to the boys, go to Hartford, Conn. and speak there in the evening; Tuesday at Meriden; Wednesday at New Haven; and Thursday at Woonsocket R.I. Then I start home, and think I will not stop. I may be delayed in New York City an hour or two. I have been unable to escape this toil. If I had foreseen it I think I would not have come East at all. The speech at New York, being within my calculations before I started, went off passably well, and gave me no trouble whatever.
Here is a brief video on Lincoln’s visit to Exeter.
