I Held Lincoln

A Union Sailor's Journey Home

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877)
Cover of the book I Held Lincoln by Richard E. Quest, Potomac Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Richard E. Quest ISBN: 9781640120549
Publisher: Potomac Books Publication: May 1, 2018
Imprint: Potomac Books Language: English
Author: Richard E. Quest
ISBN: 9781640120549
Publisher: Potomac Books
Publication: May 1, 2018
Imprint: Potomac Books
Language: English

Lt. Benjamin Loring (1824–1902) lived the life of an everyman Civil War sailor. He commanded no armies and devised no grand strategies. Loring was a sailor who just wanted to return home, where the biggest story of his life awaited him.

Covering almost a year of Loring’s service, I Held Lincoln describes the lieutenant’s command of the gunboat USS Wave, the Battle of Calcasieu Pass, the surrender of his ship, and his capture by the Confederates. He was incarcerated in Camp Groce, a deadly Confederate prison where he endured horrific conditions and abuse. Loring attempted to escape, evading capture for ten days behind enemy lines, only to be recaptured just a few miles from freedom. After an arduous second escape, he finally reached the safety of Union lines and gained his freedom.

On the night of April 14, 1865, Loring attended Ford’s Theater and witnessed one of the single most tragic events in American history: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After the shot rang out, Loring climbed into the presidential box and assisted the dying president, helping to carry him across the street to the Peterson House. Using Loring’s recently discovered private journal, Richard E. Quest tells this astonishing now-recovered story, giving insight into a little-known Confederate prison camp during the last days of the Civil War and providing much-deserved recognition to a man whose journey was nearly lost to American history.
 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Lt. Benjamin Loring (1824–1902) lived the life of an everyman Civil War sailor. He commanded no armies and devised no grand strategies. Loring was a sailor who just wanted to return home, where the biggest story of his life awaited him.

Covering almost a year of Loring’s service, I Held Lincoln describes the lieutenant’s command of the gunboat USS Wave, the Battle of Calcasieu Pass, the surrender of his ship, and his capture by the Confederates. He was incarcerated in Camp Groce, a deadly Confederate prison where he endured horrific conditions and abuse. Loring attempted to escape, evading capture for ten days behind enemy lines, only to be recaptured just a few miles from freedom. After an arduous second escape, he finally reached the safety of Union lines and gained his freedom.

On the night of April 14, 1865, Loring attended Ford’s Theater and witnessed one of the single most tragic events in American history: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After the shot rang out, Loring climbed into the presidential box and assisted the dying president, helping to carry him across the street to the Peterson House. Using Loring’s recently discovered private journal, Richard E. Quest tells this astonishing now-recovered story, giving insight into a little-known Confederate prison camp during the last days of the Civil War and providing much-deserved recognition to a man whose journey was nearly lost to American history.
 

More books from Potomac Books

Cover of the book Through Veterans' Eyes by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Eyewitness to Chaos by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book One Marshal's Badge: A Memoir of Fugitive Hunting, Witness Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Medal of Honor by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Villa by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Silent Warfare by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book There I Go Again by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Soccer's Most Wanted™ II by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Cold War Spy Stories from Eastern Europe by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Games' Most Wanted by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book The Future of War by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book GPS Declassified by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Trial By Gas by Richard E. Quest
Cover of the book Chinese Nuclear Proliferation by Richard E. Quest
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy