Abe Lincoln Letter Found?

One of my favorite letters of all time is the letter from Abraham Lincoln to Mrs. Bixby, the mother of five sons who were in the Civil War. You might know this letter from a scene from the movie Saving Private Ryan and handled in such a moving way in the film.

Recently, a copy of the letter was discovered in the archives of a Texas museum and is in the process of being appraised and authenticated. If you want to know more, you can read the whole news story at AOL News. You can read the text of the letter below.

Let’s get back to writing letters like this! How shall we start?

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,–

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln

Tags: abraham lincoln, bixby, civil war, history, letter writing, letters, News