Boker, George H. (George Henry) (1823-1890) Poems of the War
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00530 Author/Creator: Boker, George H. (George Henry) (1823-1890) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Book signed Date: 1864 Pagination: 1 v. : vi, 202 p. ; 18.5 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy
Written by Philadelphia poet, playwright and diplomat George Henry Boker. First edition copy signed by one of Lincoln's secretaries John G. Nicolay as "Jno G. Nicolay / Sept 19th 1864." Published by Ticknor and Fields. Contains 37 poems, including 4 sonnets (Boker is remembered favorably for his sonnets in particular). 31 of the poems deal with the war, including "The Crossing at Fredericksburg," "The Black Regiment," and "Before Vicksburg," among others. 6 fall under the heading "Miscellaneous Poems." Pebble-grained green cloth cover, stamped in blind with gilt-stamped title on spine. Boker was one of two men who arranged to print 48 copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, and with Nicolay's help, have them signed by Lincoln for sale at the Sanitary Commission in Philadelphia.
The American Civil War not only turned Boker's pen to the Union Cause, but changed him politically from a Democrat to a staunch Republican. His name is closely associated with the rehabilitation of the Republican party in Philadelphia. Boker was also U.S. Minister to Turkey (1871-1875) and Russia (1875-1878). BAL 1209
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