Reply #6: There were two seperate threads on this program that I've seen

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

one to let people know about the program, and one to discuss it. I'm glad you posted, however, because you brought up the homosexuality angle, and neither of the other two threads I read did. I don't have cable, so couldn't watch the program, but I've studied Lincoln since I was a child.

I know that the views of homosexuality were a bit different in the nineteenth century, when all sexual expression was considered private. I would think that, back then, it would be easier for two men to sleep together without anyone commenting, since beds were scarce and it was a common practice. Like you, I hadn't heard about the Union Captain until recently, and I thought I'd read just about every book about Lincoln that was around. The fact that this information apparently was suppressed makes one wonder. I know the supposed illegitamacy of Lincoln's mother was something that didn't come out for a long time, either. As I said, the attitude towards sexuality was very different back then.

Wished I could've heard Gore Vidal, as his "Lincoln" is one of my favorite books.