A Personal Note

Judge David Wills to Abraham Lincoln
Holograph letter,
[November 2, 1863]
Manuscript Division
Gift of Robert Todd Lincoln, 1923

The late date of Judge David Wills's invitation, combined with the small role that Lincoln was asked to play in the ceremonies, has led many people to conclude that Wills was simply fulfilling a political or ritual duty in inviting the president to Gettysburg. Some have gone so far as to argue that Wills neither expected nor wanted the president to accept his invitation. The one-page enclosure of the same date negates that argument. Not only did Wills expect the president in Gettysburg, he urged him to stay at his own home.