that gives us mary lincoln is the starting point. and ends after going through schuyler colfax with gideon welles. welles is the most reliable of the witnesses, strickler speaking, because his account of what lincoln said was probably disclosed within a week of the assassination. other officials heard the same lincoln comments that wells heard, giving them the chance in principle to challenge the public report if it was inaccurate. by contrast, the words of lincoln diebold's when his wife and schuyler colfax were heard and recorded only by them. they gave them both free reign, if they so chose, to embellish or even amend with the president had said in their hearing. let's start with mary, the alleged lincoln words she diebold were spoken the latest. that is the closest to the president's death. in that respect, they come the closest to being literally his last words. within a few days of the assassination, she told her old family physician who had come all the way from springfield illinois to comfort her that during the play at fort's

, the minister at new york avenue presbyterian church in washington, certainly the minister of mary lincoln and abraham lincoln love to go listen to sermons said that lincoln had told him late in life, therefore during his presidency -- this is a quote from the unpublished manuscript that wasn't ever brought to light in publication until someone else published it in the early 20th century, according to gurley, late in life, lincoln said while others are asleep, i think. night is the only time i have to think. i want to just and with a brief reflection on that statement presumably lincoln would have made that statement, it makes sense. even if it was reported only much, much later. there would be no reason for phineas gurley to make that up. it's a wonderful idea for us, in thinking about how lincoln's mind works. and what he might have been thinking on april 14. he might've been thinking during his conscious hours, during the day on april 14 about what he was going to think about that night. he didn't have time to think things through in 30 seconds of talking about richmond was kyler colfax

mary lincoln responded that the story was horrid and she wished lincoln have not told it. i am glad i don't believe in dreams, she said it. lincoln responded that it was only a dream. say no more about it. he continued his telling of the story that the dream was so horrible and real and in keeping with other dreams that mr. lincoln was profoundly disturbed by it. it lincoln looked grave and visibly pale as he described the vision. there was something about it that was real, true to the actual tragedy which occurred soon after that more than moral strength and wisdom what have been required to let it pass without a shutter or paying it. this is a remarkable story. the drink -- president dreamed of his own assassination a few days before it happened. it's no wonder that writers like carl sandburg of all included in their books. just last week, i was reading a book. it's a wonderful book about the assassination of james garfield. robert todd lincoln told the stream to president garfield during the final cabinet meeting in 1881, two days before he was assassinated. what irony.

lincoln approached a small group of friends at the white house which included mary todd lincoln. e president was in a melancholy, meditative mood and had been silent for some time. mary aroused her husband to speak what was on his mind. it seems strange how much there is in the bible about dreams, lincoln said. there are, i think, 16 chapters in the old testament and four or five in the new in which dreams are mentioned and there are many other passages scattered throughout the book which refer divisions. if we believe the bible -- refer to visions. if we believe the bible, we must believe that in the old days god and his angels made themselves known in dreams. mary todd lincoln was struck by her husband's statement and said, do you believe in dreams? he said i had one the other night that has haunted me. after the dream, he said he opened up his bible and it fell to the pages in genesis were jacob dreams of a ladder ascending to heaven and there are angels going up and down. lincoln said he turned to other passages, each of which dealt with dreams. as lincoln said this, he looked

mary lincoln responded that the story was horrid and she wished lincoln have not told it. i am glad i don't believe in dreams, she said it. lincoln responded that it was only a dream. say no more about it. he continued his telling of the story that the dream was so horrible and real and in keeping with other dreams that mr. lincoln was profoundly disturbed by it. it lincoln looked grave and visibly pale as he described the vision. there was something about it that was real, true to the actual tragedy which occurred soon after that more than moral strength and wisdom what have been required to let it pass without a shutter or paying it. this is a remarkable story. the drink -- president dreamed of his own assassination a few days before it happened. it's no wonder that writers like carl sandburg of all included in their books. just last week, i was reading a book. it's a wonderful book about the assassination of james garfield. robert todd lincoln told the stream to president garfield during the final cabinet meeting in 1881, two days before he was assassinated. what irony.

[laughter] i definitely think lincoln was cozying up to mary. i don't know about any of the quotations being real. i do feel like it would make sense at that moment to make that gesture. they'd had a horrible experience on march 26 when she flew up -- blew up at the wife of the general. she had humiliated him. she had embarrassed herself. it makes sense it would have been an effort at reconciliation. that was an effort of their marriage. they were bad to each other, but they also had moments of restoring. it wasn't just april 14. it was a dynamic that probably made their marriage work, a version of codependency. certainly a strong love. martha: he told his law partner when he left the white house he would come back to illinois and they would start practicing law together. we will pick up where we left off. >> anyone who can comment on what started in the 1960's, whether or not he had symptoms of the disease. >> that tends not to be the thought at this point. >> it has been ruled out? dr. goldman: the symptoms are not associated with that. my und

[laughter] i definitely think lincoln was cozying up to mary. i don't know about any of the quotations being real. i do feel like it would make sense at that moment to make that gesture. they'd had a horrible experience on march 26 when she flew up -- blew up at the wife of the general. she had humiliated him. she had embarrassed herself. it makes sense it would have been an effort at reconciliation. that was an effort of their marriage. they were bad to each other, but they also had moments of restoring. it wasn't just april 14. it was a dynamic that probably made their marriage work, a version of codependency. certainly a strong love. martha: he told his law partner when he left the white house he would come back to illinois and they would start practicing law together. we will pick up where we left off. >> anyone who can comment on what started in the 1960's, whether or not he had symptoms of the disease. >> that tends not to be the thought at this point. >> it has been ruled out? dr. goldman: the symptoms are not associated with that. my und

the response to that, abraham lincoln gives the mary strong speech -- a very strong speech. in that he says that is not what america stands for peers he says -- he does not actually articulate this in his speech but he will in other places -- he's a mud fill. he grew up in indiana in a home that literally only had three walls. it was open on the fourth side. that is where they put the fire because they did not have the time to make the fourth wall. he grew up working in fields. he did not get an education. was it true that he was in fact somebody who should be directed by people like james henry hammond who had a very nasty way with his slaves, male and female, as well as his -- and who was willing to stand on the floor of congress and say, i did not actually read this bill? i do not know what was in it. that i know i should go with my friends. which he saidys in the speech. i paraphrase. is it true that he should be below that sort of a man? no. he says america is about free labor, about the idea that any man has the right to the fruits of his own labor and everybody should

congratulations lincoln high school students i want to announce that evening that we were fortunate on a personal note our own mission high school in the heart of the mission launched it's mary which he program in january, the students have picked up an state your name for the very first time gave a performance to the packed houses in san francisco this past thursday the elementary school students and before buena vista and occupied groups right here from san francisco and others also performed and wisp happy that students from mary which he high school and a personal note it was the maryiachi - it was ethic students in action and parent induction and grant induction program a real pride program i want to thank all our departments especially rob daniels and john and sophie for spearheading the work to make that happen get ready san francisco the definition find our performing arts in san francisco has only just begin and finally on the last note remind everyone that all of the schools if the sfusd will be closed march thirty for spring break we want to wish everyone a restful spring break i hear clapping you've earned it but i also want to reminded everyone that spring break

congratulations lincoln high school students i want to announce that evening that we were fortunate on a personal note our own mission high school in the heart of the mission launched it's mary which he program in january, the students have picked up an state your name for the very first time gave a performance to the packed houses in san francisco this past thursday the elementary school students and before buena vista and occupied groups right here from san francisco and others also performed and wisp happy that students from

lincoln. i think we all know he was very emotional. there was the story that someone sing for him "no one knows the trouble i've seen" and his alleged suicide moments when mary todd broke off their first engagement. he had great stoic character and did not show these i am just wondering, do you know of any scholarship that delves into that emotional side, that he did have. i have not come across a lot of it. and if not there because she hid it. that was very much there. >> i will start. that is about lincoln diagnosis clinical depression. the other

mary about their future life together. but he knew this whole life awaited him, when he did most of his thinking. i go back to the hope that even in his unconscious state lincoln, lying on his deathbed, might have had images come to his mind, images he wouldn't be able to report, however, subconscious they were, maybe got a flickr of something as he lay there across the street. my hope is that as he lay dying lincoln was able to call to mind the image of even jesus on the cross, perhaps, but certainly my hope is that he would have had the knowledge that historic irony was about to take place. he was about to die, having been shot all the very day of jesus's crucifixion. and that would send him into a martyrdom like none other. maybe he had some inkling that this was his fate. of course, as is just my fantasy. but we do know, i think, the during the day of april 14, he may have been looking forward happily to the knights of thinking -- the night of thinking that lay ahead. take you. [applause] -- thank you. [applause] richard: i see a questioner,. >> a quick question about what motivated you to write your book given that you would written previous books about r