bookmark_borderAbraham Lincoln Union Open House

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Union League of Philadelphia, founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln, will host its annual Open House on Saturday February 4, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to stay after the open house for a special presentation by Bob O’Connor, author and historian, “Ward Hill Lamon: Abraham Lincoln’s personal bodyguard.”

The Open House and the Ward Lamon program are free and open to the public.

O’Connor, who lives in Charles Town, West Virginia, has ortrayed Lamon in programs at schools, historical venues, and civic organizations in six states. He has authored the only account of Lamon’s life, a historical fiction book called “The Virginian Who Might Have Saved Lincoln.” He also has edited the only book Lamon ever wrote, “The Life of Abraham Lincoln As President,” written in the 1880s but never published. Mr. O’Connor found the manuscript in the Huntington Library in California and purchased the rights to publish it. He added over 1700 footnotes. The book was published for the first time in December 2010.

Ward Hill Lamon is largely a forgotten figure in history, according to O’Connor. “He was born just a few miles from where I live, and moved to Danville, Illinois at age 18. There he became a new attorney assigned to the 8th Circuit Court where Abraham Lincoln was a long established lawyer. Lamon and Lincoln were law partners from 1852-1856, defending 114 cases in Vermilion County, Illinois. Lincoln took Lamon with him to Washington and became the unofficial presidential bodyguard. Lamon was with Mr. Lincoln every single day of his presidency until Tuesday,
April 11, 1865, when the president sent Lamon on a special assignment.

Lamon did not want to leave Mr. Lincoln unguarded, as he felt there was still danger. The Lincolns went to Ford’s Theater on April 14 in spite of Lamon’s urging that he not leave the White House, and the rest is history.”

O’Connor thinks Lamon is overlooked by historians. “He was probably Abraham Lincoln’s most trusted friend. He had more access to President Lincoln during the Civil War than anyone else. To say he is an insignificant character is quite outlandish.”

O’Connor, speaking as Ward Lamon, will tell of his friendship with
Abraham Lincoln, personal experiences they had, and the tragic loss of his life-long friend. At the end of the program, Mr. Lamon will take questions and will answer them in character.

bookmark_borderBenefit Dinner For Occupy Philadelphia

You are invited to a dinner
to benefit

Occupy Philadelphia

Friday, February 10, 2012
6:00 p.m.
at the Friends Center
1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia
*a children’s program will be provided.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Philadelphians have quietly supported
Occupy Philadelphia from the background. Though the encampment has been disbanded for the winter, Occupy Philadelphia continues to meet daily to plan and strategize the ongoing movement. This gala evening is an opportunity for quiet supporters to meet one another, celebrate the accomplishments of Occupy Philadelphia, and learn new ways to add our energy and power
to the movement for economic justice.

Our Program
6:00 Hors d’oeuvres
6:30 Briefing on Occupy Philadelphia
6:50 Dinner: Prepared and served by Occupiers for Occupiers
8:30 After-dinner discussions and opportunities to organize
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Please pay online with a credit card at http://occudinner.eventbrite.com
If you prefer to pay by check, please make checks payable to Occupy Philadelphia 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 and Contact occudinner@occupyphillyga.net or Call (215) 821-8021 to reserve your seat at the table. ­­­­­­­­­­­­
__________________________
Proceeds will benefit:
Occupy organizing and direct action • Fliers and direct action posters
Bail fund • Food Working Group
Please forward this invitation onto family, friends, supporters, and all those who are interested in learning more about Occupy Philadelphia.

bookmark_borderMontgomery County At Occupy Philly

Quite a few people from Montgomery County have become active in the Occupy Philadelphia movement at City Hall, Philadelphia. Some protesters held a press conference and went on to defy the order to vacate Dilworth Plaza: