President Lincoln’s Dream
Historical AccountStory★★★★(Video 19 sec) Researchers say that all of us dream—usually several times each night. Sometimes those dreams are good. Perhaps you have awakened right in the middle of a particularly wonderful dream and are disappointed that you can’t get back to sleep and finish it. Or, maybe you wake up in a cold sweat, breathing hard—and are so relieved to discover that the really sad or scary dream you were having was only that—just a dream.
But most of our dreams, we don’t remember. President Abraham Lincoln once had a dream he remembered but wished he hadn’t.
He shared it with his close friend Ward Hill Lamon, who wrote it down in Lincoln’s own words. “About ten days ago,” the president recalled, “I retired very late . . .
I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a deathlike stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping.
I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. “There, the silence was broken by pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible.
I went from room to room. No living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along . . .
I was puzzled and alarmed . . . I kept on until I arrived in the East Room . . . There I met a sickening surprise. Before me was a platform for a coffin of someone of state.
Around it were soldiers acting as guards; and there was a throng of people . . . gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered . . . ‘Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded of one of the soldiers. ‘The President.’
Was his answer. ‘He was killed by an assassin.’” (Video 5 sec) A few days later, on April 14, 1865, a much–loved president, Abraham Lincoln, was killed by John Wilkes Booth. His body was taken to lie in state in the East Room of the White House. A very remarkable man—and a very remarkable dream.
You see, dreams actually do come true.
Also attributed to: Ward Hill Lamon
The point
Abraham Lincoln recounts a dream in which he learns of his own assassination, which came true days later.
Alternate wording
Abraham Lincoln Dreams of Own Death245 words
President Abraham Lincoln once had a dream he remembered
but wished he hadn’t. He shared it with his close friend Ward Hill Lamon,
who wrote it down in Lincoln’s own words. “About ten days ago,” the
president recalled, “I retired very late ... I soon began to dream.
There seemed to be a deathlike stillness about me. Then I heard subdued
sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and
wandered downstairs. “There, the silence was broken by pitiful sobbing,
but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room. No living
person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds
of distress met me as I passed along ... I was puzzled and alarmed ... I
kept on until I arrived in the East Room ... There I met a sickening surprise.
Before me was a platform for a coffin of someone of state.
Around it were soldiers acting as guards; and there was a throng of people
... gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered ...
‘Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded of one of the soldiers.
‘The President.’Was his answer. ‘He was killed by an assassin.’”
A few days later, on April 14, 1865, a much-loved president, Abraham
Lincoln, was killed by John Wilkes Booth. His body was taken to lie in
state in the East Room of the White House. A very remarkable man—and
a very remarkable dream.