Abraham Lincoln once said that a good story for him was better than a drop of whisky.
For those of you have not yet joined the Doris Kearns Goodwin fan club, I wanted to share a story of Lincoln’s that she often recounts. Lincoln, of course, was known for his unparalleled story telling ability. He would sit by the fireplace and regale his listeners with jokes and winding tales for hours. This was how he won the hearts that won him the presidency.
Lincoln told a story of Ethan Allen, an American Revolution war hero who went to Britain after the war. (And who oddly enough has a furniture company named after him.) After he arrived, the British, still upset about having lost the war, put their measly Brit minds together and came up with a plot to try to embarrass Allen by putting a large portrait of George Washington in the only outhouse where he might encounter it. They had hoped Allen would be upset about the indignity of George Washington being in an outhouse. That night, after dinner and conversation, Allen made his way out, candle in hand, and did his business. He came back in as high of spirits as ever.
“Didn’t you see George Washington in there?!” they said.
“Oh yes,” said Allen. “Perfectly appropriate place for him”
“What do you mean?” They said.
“Well,” he said, “there is nothing to make an Englishman shit faster than the sight of General George Washington.
DKG…i want to BE her.
Tim- We had our book club meeting last night and
discussed “Team of Rivals”…I brought up that
very anecdote, since I know a lot about Ethan Allen
and in fact wrote a screenplay about him. It’s a
great story and in character with the Great Horned
Devil of the Grants, but it’s probably bogus. Allen
never went to England after the War. He was in
England as a prisoner during the War, but never
mentions such an incident in his memoir. It could
have happened during his imprisonment, but since
Washington was pretty much victoryless general
at that time, it is unlikely.
That doesn’t mean that Lincoln did not tell such a story. Good story-tellers often fabricate—they are not historians—and, sometimes, “artistic truth” can be more effective than the nit-picking facts summoned up by plodders.
Well, it’s a good story even if it’s apocryphal. That a story ends up to be true helps it out, but it is really secondary. A good storyteller will say “Legend has it that…”
Eh Jeff Lee, nobody likes a know it all number one, and number two: “Who ever let the truth ruin a good story?” Apparently you.
Such a poignant article…
What really helps me get through tough times, when thinking of presidents in the news and biology, is to focus on a nice drawing of Abe Lincoln on the can reading the paper. It’s very uplifting.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year and a Joyous Kwanzaa!