alexpgp | Pure English...

Near the beginning of the film Saving Private Ryan, while setting up the story of the film, the screenwriters place a minor character - a general - in a situation where he feels compelled to read a letter concerning a mother who had lost five sons in the Civil War.

He starts by reading the letter out loud for the benefit of his interlocutor (and us, the audience), and then slowly looks up with slightly glazed eyes and sits down as he finishes reciting the letter from memory. The general sums up by telling his listener(s) the author's name: Abraham Lincoln.

(It's a pretty strong scene, and reflects the kind of concern for human life that eventually was largely beaten out of the mind-set of "corporate" military officers under the leadership of vermin like Robert McNamara, and left largely to junior officers and NCOs, but I digress...)

The letter was written by Abraham Lincoln, in a time long before anyone heard of speechwriters, focus groups, or PR flacks. In an old poetry book of mine, I ran across a facsimile of the letter, the original of which is said to be on display at Brasenose College at Oxford University in England. The book describes it as "a model of purest English, rarely, if ever, surpassed."

Executive Mansion
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864

To Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Mass.

Dear Madam,

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously in the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully
A.Lincoln

I'm sure nothing like this would fly in today's cynical age, but nonetheless, it is a powerful set of words. Lincoln was very adept at extracting the greatest amount of oomph from the least number of words.

I wonder if the letter is still at Brasenose?

Cheers...