On This Day: Lincoln refuses elephants

Did you know the King of Sam offered war elephants to help fight the Civil War? Elephants! Can you just imagine for a moment Sherman’s march on elephants? The letter, according to the National Archives, is dated 14 February 1861 and in it King Mongkut offers then President Buchanan a gift of elephants. The King thought the elephaints might fair well in the woodlands. President Buchanan was out of office before the letter arrived and it was President Lincoln who responded. It was On This Day, almost a year later, that President Lincoln refused the generous offer, according to CivilWar.org. Siam, by the way, is current day Thailand.

Photos: Dreamstime

On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.

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