Page 37 - Barbecue News June 2020 Issue
P. 37

15. James Buchanan, 1857-1861
Buchanan is the only unmarried man to be elected to the presi- dency and he lived the lifestyle of a total bachelor in the White House. His inaugural banquet was one of the biggest events held in the White House (75 hams,60 saddles of mutton, 500 chickens, 125 beef tongues, 400 gallons of oysters, 8 rounds of beef, 1200 quarts of ice cream, $3000.00 worth of wine). He had two differ- ent colored eyes (one of them was a lazy eye), he lost his middle finger in the War of 1812, and was shot in the rump with an arrow and was dismissed from the Lewis and Clark exposition. He was a hard drinker and had an extremely high tolerance; he once drank a 16 round toast that left everyone else on the floor. Buchanan first got national attention in 1814 at a 4th of July barbecue cele- bration when he gave a “rousting speech” in Lancaster Pennsylva- nia. An older Federalist took notice and nominated Buchanan to the state legislature. He was the U.S. President when Fort Sumter came under attack and left the White House as 7 southern states succeeded to form the Confederate States. His message to Abra- ham Lincoln as he left the White House was “I hope he as happy to take the Presidency as I am to leave it”.
Buchanan is the first president to publish his memoirs, partly to defend himself from accusations of not doing enough to prevent the Civil War. Buchanan had a summer house located in Thornedale, PA which is now a BBQ restaurant named The Grill at fore. It is reported to be haunted and hosts several paranormal events each year. Maybe Buchanan is still trying to clear his name...we hear you! B.Q. Score: 3
16-Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
Abraham Lincoln’s parents made their wedding vows and had their reception at a barbecue. According to Christopher Graham, one of the guests, there was barbecued bear meat, venison, turkey, ducks, and sheep. The meat was barbecued whole over coals of wood burned in a pit and covered with green branches.
Barbecues was the grease that kept gears moving of political cam- pagines of the 1800’s and Lincoln attend his share of them. Ac- cording to Rae Katherine Eighmey in her 2009 book Lincoln attended a large barbecue held by the Urbana Agricultural com- mittee in 1858. When he was shown his seat at the head of the table he recognized an older lady standing near by. She was a well known waitress at a local hotel and everyone affectionaly called her “Granny”. Lincoln said to her, ”Granny, have you no place? You must have some dinner. Here, take my place.” At first Granny Hutchinson resisted but eventually took her place as Linclons guset of honor while Lincoln took his barbecued turkey leg and biscuit and sat under a nearby tree to eat it.
Hundreds of campaign activists turned out to support Lincoln in in presidental campaign. Thousands of young men turned out in “Wide Awake” torchlight parades in support of Lincoln. Barbe- cues, picnics, rallies, and rail splitting battalions marched and lis- tened to republican party celebrities speak of Lincoln’s qualifactions to be the leader of the nation.
Lincoln sought to visit the troops as often as he could. During these visits he was very identifiable, wearing his topcoat and dis- tinctive top hat. He not only visited the active military, but fre- quently visited the hospitalized and gravesites of the fallen soldiers. He went to one of the largest field hospitals and person- ally visited 6,000 wounded soldiers.
Two speeches that reveal his devotion to liberty and justice can be seen in the Gettysburg address and the Emancipation Proclama- tion. We celebrate January 1, 1863 as the day Emancipation Proclamation took effect and declared freedom for 3.5 million American slaves. In Texas, the celebration takes place on June 19th,1865. That is the day Federal forces landed in Galveston and re-established constitutional authority in Texas and two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was first declared the citizens of Texas were finally informed that they were “forever free” in the Lone Star State. Ever since this declaration ‘June- teenth” has been celebrated as Emancipation Day and Texans continue to celebrate it across the state with dances, fireworks, and barbecues. The Texas legislature officially made Juneteenth a
state holiday in 1980.
B.Q. Score: 6
 17. Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869
Another accidental President, a southern Democrat and opposed to most everything Lincoln stood for. He lived most of his life in the south but his claim to BBQ fame would come from the far north. The town of Johnsonville Wisconsin is named after him and is also home to the famous Johnsonville sausages known for their mouthwatering grilled brats.
A Harper’s Weekly political cartoon was published on Oct. 8, 1868 showing Andrew Johnson presiding over a Democratic barbecue. The images show how he reportedly used the African Americans as a ploy to appease the northern voters.
Historians say that Johnson’s victory "marked the beginning of an ambitious series of receptions, barbecues, and children’s parties that would turn the last nine months of his term into an ongoing
 JUNE 2020
BarbecueNews.com - 37
celebration."
B.Q. Score : 3
















































































   35   36   37   38   39