When ghosts held power in the White House

This article explores a fascinating story from the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, when the White House became a venue for spiritualistic séances. After the tragic loss of her son, Mary Todd Lincoln began consulting with a medium, which led to numerous encounters with the spirits of deceased loved ones. The article discusses the influence of these experiences on Lincoln's political decisions, including the Emancipation Proclamation. It also discusses the controversies surrounding these practices and the reactions of contemporaries to the spiritualistic phenomenon, which was gaining popularity at the time.

Abraham Lincoln, courtesy of Wikimedia, public domainWhat would happen if it were revealed that President Bush had been consulting a spiritual medium while in the White House? What if people learned that he even attended a séance for advice before taking office? The nation would be outraged and demand his removal from office so they could immediately prosecute him. Many would suddenly question his judgment, while others would seek medical advice from psychologists. More recently, First Lady Hillary Clinton ran into trouble after it was revealed that she had spoken with the long-dead Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mrs. Clinton never confirmed that she had heard Mrs. Roosevelt's responses.

It would seem that such a bizarre event occurred only once. It happened during the terrible Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln held séances in the White House. These meetings were reported in the press at the time (including the anti-Lincoln press), but few people condemned him, as the spiritualism craze also spread to many prominent figures.

Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln invited mediums to the White House following the death of her son Willie in February 1862. Mrs. Lincoln, always unstable, sank into a state of depression after the loss of her beloved son. She was encouraged to consult with a freed slave, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Keckley, who made a dress for Mrs. Lincoln (interestingly, she also made a dress for Mrs. Jefferson Davies, also the wife of the Confederate president). It wasn't long before Mary Todd Lincoln fell into the occult. During séances, mediums claimed to summon her two deceased sons, as well as a cousin who had died at the Battle of Chickamauga. She also drew her husband into her search for answers from beyond the grave. He apparently allowed mediums to come and visit the presidential residence.

One of the worst was an Englishman who called himself "Lord Colchester" and claimed to be connected to the British aristocracy. He held séances at Lincoln's summer home. During one session, he announced that he had received a message from Willie. The president was skeptical and asked Joseph Henry, director of the Smithsonian Institution, to investigate the English lord's fraud. After attending a séance, Mr. Henry concluded that the ghostly sounds must have come from some hidden location. Mr. Noah Brooks, an old friend of Lincoln and a journalist from Washington, went further and became convinced that "Lord Colchester" was a vile charlatan who was preying on Mrs. Lincoln's grief. He discovered the medium's fraud, which involved using a simple sleight of hand as a genuine psychic phenomenon. The British charlatan was ordered to leave and never return, and he complied.

Another medium consulted by Mary Todd Lincoln was twenty-one-year-old Nettie Colburn. She was impressive and had a large following. She suggested Mary secure a position in the Interior Department so she wouldn't have to leave town. She relied on public evidence to believe she truly possessed psychic abilities. All records indicate that she believed the messages she received came from the spirit world. In a séance held in the Red Room of the White House in December 1862, spirits urged President Lincoln to immediately free the slaves. The issue of emancipation was widely discussed in Washington, and within weeks of the séance, Lincoln proposed the famous Emancipation Proclamation. Was the séance influential? Spiritualism originated in New York State in 1848 and had many roots in New England. It emerged against slavery shortly after its inception.

In early 1863, Nettie Colburn was given a simple test. She was asked to identify a masked man wrapped in a dark cloak who entered a room. Miss Colburn entered a trance and contacted her spirit guide, "Pinki" (who claimed to be a Native American). The figure was dubbed the "Crooked Knife." When the man removed his cloak, it was revealed to be General Daniel Sickle. Since a sickle is a type of curved knife, the experiment was considered a success. Skeptics, however, continued to point to the fact that the friendship between General Sickle and the president was widely known.

During another séance held at the White House, several strange events occurred. The meeting was led by medium Charles Schockle. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Wells and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton were also present. The event was reported by journalist Melton Prior. Once the lights were turned down, all sorts of strange occurrences occurred. "Spirits" pulled Mr. Wells's beard and nipped Mr. Stanton's ears. A picture hung on the wall moved in the darkness, and two candlesticks, gifts from the ruler of Algiers to President Adams, were seen hanging in midair near the right side of the ceiling.

Abraham Lincoln joked with the "spirits" and clearly had a good time. His own belief, or disbelief, never drove him mad. Although the séances were known throughout the North, little criticism was leveled at the president or his wife. But those were different times. If such things had happened today, history might have turned out differently. Then, too, the spirits might have been better able to advise our current leader than his own staff—who knows?