Abraham Lincoln letter seeking job for Black friend and valet now on display at presidential museum
SPRINGFIELD Ill AP The short handwritten note is a typical letter of reference for a man seeking a job But the author is the president of the United States It is also and the job seeker is a Black man Abraham Lincoln penned the entreaty on behalf of his young friend William Johnson because ironically his dark complexion caused freed Black White House staffers with lighter skin to shun him The difference of color between him and the other servants is the cause of our separation Lincoln wrote in the March letter that private collector Peter Tuite donated in August to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum where it is now on populace display The letter s recipient Navy Secretary Gideon Welles communicated he had no position available For a president in the mid- th century to show such personal concern for a Black man s welfare is astounding But consider that Lincoln was fewer than two weeks removed from his inauguration taking over a country rent by secession on the brink of a bloody Civil War The brief missive contains layer upon layer of revelations about Lincoln s presidential debut mentioned Christina Shutt executive director of the library and museum We see him trying to help a friend We see that even the new president cannot casually hand out jobs Shutt mentioned We see issues of class and color within the White House Little is known about Johnson before he started work in as a valet and driver for Lincoln in Springfield He traveled to Washington with the president-elect Lincoln referred to the then- -year-old Johnson in letters as a colored boy But the individual favor he bestowed on Johnson was characteristic of the Great Emancipator stated James Conroy a retired Massachusetts attorney and historian whose books include a survey of Lincoln s White House Lincoln treated the White House staff largely made up of freed African Americans with respect In a separate article on the subject Conroy wrote that Lincoln never demanded facility but sought staffers politely and let them bear no hardship he could lift Nobody can question that Lincoln was a very kindly guy very empathetic trying to help people when he could Conroy communicated The Associated Press And that crossed Black and white and male and female and everything else He was a genuinely good guy It wasn t until November that Lincoln unveiled Johnson a position at the Treasury Department Lincoln maintained a close working relationship with Johnson paying him to shave the president daily and often act as chauffeur Johnson accompanied Lincoln to Pennsylvania in November for the Gettysburg Address Johnson nursed Lincoln when he evidenced indicators of a mild occurrence of smallpox during the trip Johnson died of smallpox in early It is realizable he contracted it from the president or during one of several outbreaks in Washington at the time While Johnson was sick Lincoln collected his paycheck and ensured it got to Johnson Lincoln later paid for Johnson s coffin and offered to pay off a loan of Johnson s but the bank forgave half of it Source
