If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.
— A. Lincoln, 1863History
During the Civil War, President Lincoln and his family resided seasonally (June – November 1862-64) at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC. Founded in 1851 as a home for retired and disabled veterans of American wars, the Soldiers’ Home stood on 250 acres atop the third highest area in the District of Columbia. Like President Buchanan before him, Lincoln enjoyed the cool breezes and refreshing peace of the Soldiers’ Home just over three miles north of downtown. But unlike his predecessor, Lincoln could not escape the Civil War and his burden of leadership even at this seasonal retreat.