good evening. the subjects tonight are abraham lincoln and jefferson davis. i think it is fair to say by any measure of military or government experience, by bearing and background, by any remotely reliable crystal ball, any american, northern or southern, asked let s say in the spring of 1861 who was more likely to be a superior commander in chief in a full scale war, would have given the same answer. jefferson davis. he graduated from west point, lincoln had emerged from let s say the school of hard knocks. davis served two stints in the army, led forces in the american mexican war and lincoln s only military experience came in a rag tag militia company raised to battle an indian invasion in illinois where the only blood shed lincoln later admitted was lost to mosquitos. davis served as a secretary of war. and the united states senator, lincoln is a one term congressman who opposed the war with mexico and opponents whispered at the time and even voted against supplying th
well, good evening, everyone. the subjects tonight are abraham lincoln and jefferson davis. i think it is fair to say by any measure of military or governmental experience, by bearing or background, by any remotely reliable crystal ball. any american, northern or southern, asked let s say in the spring of 1861 who was more likely to be a superior commander in chief in a full scale war, would have given the same answer. jefferson davis. he graduated from west point, lincoln had emerged from let s say the school of hard knocks. davis served two stints in the army, led forces in the american mexican war and lincoln s only military experience came in a rag tag militia company raised to battle an indian invasion in illinois where the only blood shed lincoln later admitted was lost to mosquitos. davis served as a secretary of war. and the united states senator, lincoln is a one term congressman who opposed the war with mexico and opponents whispered at the time and even voted aga
good evening, everyone, subject for tonight as you know or the subjects are abraham lincoln and jefferson davis. any measure by bearing and background and any remotely reliable crystal ball, any american, northern or southern, asked let s say in the spring of 1861 who was more likely to be a superior commander in chief in a full scale war, would have given the same answer. jefferson davis. he graduated from west point, lincoln had emerged from let s say the school of hard knocks. led forces in the american mexican war and lincoln s only military experience came in a rag tag militia company raised to battle an indian invasion in illinois where the only blood shed lincoln later admitted was lost to mosquitos. davis served as a secretary of war. and the united states senator, lincoln is a one term congressman who opposed the war with mexico and opponents whispered at the time and even voted against supplying the soldiers with food and blan kets. by the time watt armies met f
i don t have mad cow disease if. i do apologize if i cough from time to time during the talk. these things are i did a tour on the american express. it s in the 1950 s that have been tarted up as to look like the original express a civil war tore from washington on to new orleans. i was the lecturer pure all had to take place in the car which was about 20 feet wide and 70 feet long and there s no place and the microphone didn t work. have you ever tried even thinking on amtrak when it s moving in a hearing yourself? the only way i could be heard was to sit on top of the grand piano in the middle of the card and shout i felt like i should have been singing or taking off my clothes. [laughter] i tried the latter and they asked me the same. [laughter] what i m going to talk about some of the subject behind my latest book an honorable defeat. people and historians especially spent time studying how the war begins we don t spend as much time looking into how the end, yet the wa