Lincoln Cottage Hosts Frederick, Abraham, Lucas, and Jonathan
- David J. Kent
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By David J. Kent
Washington, DC
Sunday, October 12, 2025
President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home is no stranger to the Lincoln Group of DC. Members regularly attend functions at the Cottage, and we've had our own meetings there in the past. Back in May of this year, Craig Howell led us on a tour of the Rock Creek Cemetery down the street. And now last week I attended a book launch event featuring Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln (in spirit) and Lucas Morel and Jonathan White (in person).
The book in question is called Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln, and Morel and White are the co-editors of the volume. While Douglass only met Lincoln three times, he often expressed his views, not always complementary, on Lincoln beginning in 1858 during the debates Lincoln had with Stephen A. Douglas. While Frederick Douglass saw hope in Lincoln's "House Divided" speech, he remained critical of Lincoln's apparent position on colonization and his perceived sluggishness in ending slavery at the beginning of the Civil War.
Many of the writings will be familiar, but Measuring the Man includes many more obscure letters rediscovered, primarily Douglass's long correspondence with Julia Griffiths (later Crofts), a British abolitionist Douglass met in 1846 while spending time in England. These letters offer a revealing "behind the scenes" look into Douglass's thoughts. For those interested, you can read my full review of the book in the upcoming Fall issue of the Lincolnian newsletter.
The Cottage event was well-attended - about 40+ people - and Morel and White offered up their additional insights. LGDC member Michelle Krowl, served as moderator of the discussion. According to Cottage CEO Callie Hawkins, this was the first book launch event at the Cottage in many years. There are plans to do more, including perhaps my own book launch for Lincoln in New England, expected out in early 2026.
The Lincoln Group of DC continues to work with the Lincoln Cottage in a variety of ways. Besides our periodic forays into the Cottage itself, LGDC president Ed Epstein and immediate past president David J. Kent have been participating in an Abraham Lincoln/Civil War community of sorts, which so far has consisted of meetings at the Cottage with twenty or so DC-area organizations with connections to Lincoln. Ed and I will be attending the next meeting in early November being held at the Clara Barton Missing Persons Office in downtown Washington (another location LGDC has held meetings in the past). We'll be looking to expand our communication and coordination with the various groups, especially with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
The Cottage event and community meetings emphasizes how much LGDC works with other Lincoln-related organizations. We have the Lincoln250.org website co-sponsored with the Abraham Lincoln Association, we convinced the Abraham Lincoln Institute to rework the format of the upcoming 2026 symposium at Ford's Theatre to feature panels discussing Lincoln's admiration for the Declaration of Independence and other founding documents, and we expect a large contingent of LGDC members to attend the annual Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg in November.
Of course, all LGDC members should feel free to suggest other activities the group may find of interest.
Photo by David J. Kent