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Title: Lucius Hubbard Writes About the End of the War
Type: Letter
Date: 1865
Source: Minnesota Historical Society
Description: Lucius F. Hubbard wrote this letter to his aunt after hearing of the end of the war and the assassination of President Lincoln.
Read Transcription
page 1 | page 2
page 1 | page 2
Activities:
What reaction do Hubbard's men have to the news that Lee (the Confederate commander) has surrendered?
What other news made their celebration less cheerful when they arrived at their next destination?
Answer:
They were told that Lincoln and Secretary Seward had
been assassinated. The information about Secretary Seward
was incorrect, but they did not know that at the time.
What reaction do the men have to the news of Lincoln's assassination?
Answer:
While they had felt joy recently about the end of the
war, they now feel a need to gain revenge for the death
of Lincoln.
What do you think Hubbard meant when he said that in Lincoln, the Southerners had "lost their best friend?"
Answer:
Hubbard suggests that the Northern soldiers without Lincoln
in charge would be harder on the Southerners. Lincoln managed
to negotiate a surrender that allowed most of the Southerners
to keep some of their land and return to their homes without
future punishment.