Photo of the Day

Josiah Moffitt wasn’t bitter about losing a son in the Civil War.

A New York infantry regiment photographed early in the Civil War.

While some bereaved parents blamed President Lincoln for their heartache, Josiah knew, hard as it was, Lincoln was doing what had to be done to save the Union.

And Josiah wanted to thank him for that.

But, what does a masonry contractor give the president of the United States?

Siamese war elephant. The King of Siam had hoped the elephants could help Lincoln in the Civil War.

In 1861, the King of Siam had offered Lincoln a pair of elephants.

Lincoln had told the King, ‘no, thanks.’

Left: Lincoln in his second-floor White House office. Right: Public reception in the Blue Room.

But the President was said to keep and eat gifts of food, if they were simple and good.

And it just so happened that Josiah lived on Sacandaga Lake, one of the best trout fishing lakes in Upstate New York.

The Moffitt Beach Campground on Sacandaga Lake occupies Josiah Moffitt’s former acreage.

But it’s not easy to get lake trout down to Washington, D.C., from there and have them arrive in a condition suitable for eating.

In fact, Josiah’s first fish-giving attempt had failed.

Left: View of Washington from the south showing the White House, left, and Treasury Building. Right: The Smithsonian Castle. Both photos are from the Civil War era.

But the extreme cold of January 1864, plus some packed ice, brought him success in his second try.

Below, the letter of the hospital chaplain who helped make it happen:

“President Lincoln, Sir.

I bring you a mess of mountain trout taken by Josiah Moffitt of Northville, Hamilton County, New York, as you will see from the within note.

Northville, New York, 1800s.

He was here [at the hospital] last winter looking after the effects of a son that died in this Hospital a year ago - and told me he had one in the Union Army in North Carolina.

Mount Pleasant Hospital in Washington, D.C. The facility, covering 1.5 acres in Northwest Washington, was built in 1861-62 to care for Civil War wounded. It contained 1,600 beds.

He made an effort then to send you some[trout], but failed owing to a warm spell of weather.

Hoping you may find them in condition for the table - with my best wishes for your health and happiness.

Geo. G. Goss, USA Chaplain, Mount Pleasant Hospital, D.C.”

I’ll see you tomorrow.

— Brenda