This memoir by painter Francis Bicknell Carpenter describes various incidents that he observed during his stay at the White House, February-July 1864, as he painted First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln. Carpenter had free access to Lincoln's office and had much interaction with the President and his Cabinet; in particular this memoir focuses on Lincoln himself. Also included are anecdotes from other sources about President Lincoln. Originally published in 1866.