Investigations

Lincoln Letter

The Case:

A Tampa man has made a potentially extraordinary discovery in a stack of old photos he purchased for eight dollars. Buried in the images was a letter with what appears to be the signature of Abraham Lincoln.  

It's dated 1858, almost four years before the Civil War, and contains a short and cryptic note to someone named Henry Clay Whitney. 

The national spotlight is on a key senate race in Illinois where a powerful and pro-slavery Democrat is being challenged for his seat by an undistinguished Republican, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's battle that summer determines the course of his career and ultimately the fate of the nation.

Is this letter a forgery? And what does it refer to?

History Detectives heads to the Land of Lincoln to investigate the future president’s political calculations and correspondence at a pivotal time in his career.


Discuss this story

Aired:
Season 5, Episode 8

Detective:
Elyse Luray Location:
Illinois

Related Content

Related Links

Comments

This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.

 

blog comments powered by Disqus