Lincoln Oath

The Case:

The Royal Oak Museum, Michigan has a note that appears to be signed by Abraham Lincoln.

The note reads: Let John S. Ennis, named as within, take the oath of Dec. 8 and be discharged. The words are scribbled on the back of a square cut from an unfamiliar document. This message coupled with the document reveal a key Civil War practice history textbooks often overlook.

The museum’s curator, Muriel Versagi wants to know the provenance of the note and whether it could have really been penned by Lincoln. She knows people try to pass Lincoln forgeries all the time, so she asks for the help of History Detectives host Tukufu Zuberi in verifying the signature.

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