[Genoa]

I can't enter into someone else's thoughts or expectations. I do know that sources, even though they are from the period being be studied, need to be used with the greatest care. This is especially true for the Civil War era, when feelings ran high and much was at stake. Often the truth was an early casualty.

[ml/nj]

I can't enter into someone else's thoughts or expectations.

Why not? Don't we do this all the time?

I don't know what your situation is but I can tell you that if I sensed danger enough to flee, I would do my best to convey that sense of danger to my wife and family and try to get them to flee with me. I guess if you would just run away from your family, then you wouldn't see anything wrong in Lincoln's action, but I think it defines him.

ML/NJ