President Lincoln’s Family Didn’t Always Live at the White House

Did you know …

Walt Whitman, a famous author, lived in Washington  D.C. (called Washington in those days) so he could visit wounded soldiers in the hospitals. He saw President Lincoln almost every day.

President Lincoln and his family stayed at the Soldier’s Home

President Lincoln didn’t sleep at the White House during the hot summer months. He worked at the White House and lived at a United States military place called the Soldier’s Home. It was about three miles from Washington.

Escorted by U.S. Cavalry

Lincoln was always escorted by 25-35 cavalry (soldiers on horseback). These soldiers held sabers, a type of sword, upright over their shoulders.

President Lincoln usually rode a gray horse. He dressed plainly in black and wore a black stiff hat. A lieutenant with yellow straps rode at his left. The cavalry men followed, two by two, in yellow-striped jackets. They traveled at a slow trot.

Riding in a Barouche

A barouche is a four-wheeled carriage with two passenger seats that face each other. Sometimes the President traveled in a barouche, and the cavalry always accompanied him holding sabers in their hands. One of his sons sometimes went with him and rode a pony at his right side.

Occasionally the President and Mrs. Lincoln would take a pleasure ride through the city in the late afternoon in a barouche.

– Sandra Merville Hart

The Soldier’s Home is now known as President Lincoln’s Cottage. Located in Washington D.C., it is open to the public for tours. The above image is of the White House.