General Grant’s Promotion The appearance of General Ulysses S. Grant at a March 8, 1864 White House levee turned the event into near bedlam. Grant had already caused a near-riot at Willard’s Hotel when his presence was revealed about 9:30 PM. The crowd at the Tuesday levee in the East Room reacted with… Abraham Lincoln’s […]

Reception for General Tom Thumb On February 13, 1863, a honeymoon Party was held at the White House for Charles S. Stratton and Livinia Warren, who had been married shortly before in New York City. “He was twenty-four years old, thirty-two inches high, and weight twenty-one pounds. She was…” Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Emancipation Proclamation The President first began designing the Proclamation at the beginning of the summer in 1862. He discussed with his Cabinet, who recommended that he delay its release until after a Union victory. Shortly after the Battle of Antietam, after which Confederates retreated from the Maryland battlefield, the President released a… Abraham Lincoln’s White […]

Redecoration and Willie’s Death On February 5, 1862, Mary Lincoln organized a major ball in the East Room, followed by a late dinner in the State Dining Room. She had invited 500 representatives of Washington society to show off the redecorated White House, her own new dress, and… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Edwin Stanton’s Home Edwin Stanton’s home was located near Franklin Square, a short walk from the White House and the War Department. As Secretary of War, Stanton lived in the style of the prosperous attorney he had been before the war — but without the income he had before the war. He bought the land […]

William H. Seward’s House The home of the President’s Secretary of State faced Lafayette Park on Madison Place near Pennsylvania Avenue. The three-story building had an impressive history long before the President had made his frequent visits. The “Old Clubhouse” had been built in… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

The Roof Shortly after the Civil War broke out, Tad Lincoln told Julia Taft at Sunday school, ‘You ought to see the fort we’ve got on the roof of our house.” Of potential rebel attackers, Tad said: “Let ’em come. Willie and I are ready for ’em.” According to Julia, “My brothers and I…” Abraham […]

The Attic During the Civil War, there was no third floor to the White House. (It was not completed until 1927.) The White House attic and roof were the Lincoln boys’ playground. Julia Taft, who often oversaw her own brothers as well as Willie and Tad Lincoln, recorded a typical incident in their… Abraham Lincoln’s […]

The Basement The basement of the White House contained no public areas in the Civil War years. Only the kitchen and servants’ quarters were located in the basement, which William O. Stoddard described as having the air of “an old and unsuccessful…” Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Gideon Welles (1802-78) Connecticut Republican leader and a founder of the Hartford Evening Press, Gideon Welles, nicknamed “Father Neptune,” was the Secretary of the Navy from 1861-1869. He was a jealous Cabinet rival of Secretary of State… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >