Lincoln's Forgotten Friend, Leonard Swett

In 1849, while traveling as an attorney on the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln befriended Leonard Swett (1825 89), a fellow attorney sixteen years his junior. Despite this age difference, the two men built an enduring friendship that continued until Lincoln s assassination in 1865. Until now, no historian has explored Swett s life or his remarkable relationship with the sixteenth president. In this welcome volume," " Robert S. Eckley provides the first biography...
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In 1849, while traveling as an attorney on the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln befriended Leonard Swett (1825 89), a fellow attorney sixteen years his junior. Despite this age difference, the two men built an enduring friendship that continued until Lincoln s assassination in 1865. Until now, no historian has explored Swett s life or his remarkable relationship with the sixteenth president. In this welcome volume," " Robert S. Eckley provides the first biography of Swett, crafting an intimate portrait of his experiences as a loyal member of Lincoln s inner circle.

Eckley chronicles Swett s early life and the part he played in Lincoln s political campaigns, including his role as an essential member of the team behind Lincoln s two nominations and elections for the presidency. Swett counseled Lincoln during the formation of his cabinet and served as an unofficial advisor and sounding board during Lincoln s time in office. Throughout his life, Swett wrote a great deal on Lincoln, and planned to write a biography about him, but Swett s death preempted the project. His eloquent and interesting writings about Lincoln are described and reproduced in this volume, some for the first time.

With "Lincoln s Forgotten Friend," Eckley removes Swett from the shadows of history and sheds new light on Lincoln s personal relationships and their valuable contributions to his career.

"Superior Achievement" from the Illinois State Historical Society, 2013 "