Clermont's Lincoln

Today's post.......in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth (Where was he born, by the way?):

This statue---erected in 1902--- stands in the historic town of Clermont, in northeast Iowa, U.S.A. The sculpture's creator is George Bissell.

(Click here to see another presidential statue by George Bissell.)

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President Lincoln holds the The Emancipation Proclamation in his hand:

Civil War Era scenes, with inscriptions, grace the four sides of the statue's base.
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"With malice toward none, with charity for all, ...let us strive on to finish the work we are in, ...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." (From Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865) :


"They have won the nation's gratitude and undying laurels, not to be forgotten by future generations......". (By Major General Ullysses S. Grant, April 8, 1862, in his general orders to the Army of Tennessee, after the Battle of Shiloh):

I think this next inscription reads, "Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bond of affection......." (From the final paragraph of
Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861). Geo. Bissell's name is etched on the lower right of the scene:
"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." (From final paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address):

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This same George Bissell sculpture of Lincoln stands in Edinburgh, Scotland, in memory of Scottish-American soldiers.

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Click the above photo to enlarge and read the plaque. It says the statue was given to Clermont by Governor William Larrabee, whose mansion, Montauk, sits high on a hilltop estate overlooking the town. Montauk is a state historical site and is available for tours.
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Guess what.......on a much more minor note......today is the 2nd birthday of my blog! It was by random chance that I began blogging on a February 12. That it was Lincoln's birthday did not factor in to my decision......not as I recall, anyway. Certainly, I've always greatly admired Abraham Lincoln. Back in grade school, we once had an assignment to write about the person from history we would most like to meet, and my choice was Abraham Lincoln.
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I hope you enjoyed this "link-laden" Lincoln Birthday blogpost. This is my 817th post. 817 posts in 730 days.......giving an average of 1.12 posts per day. If you're a blogger......what's your posting average?
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