Seven score and 18 years ago, Abraham Lincoln delivered a brief but consequential speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of the bloodiest battlefield of the American Civil War, where thousands of soldiers had died.
Lincoln was known for his general air of melancholy and bouts of severe depression, but the night after his November 19, 1863 address, he was plagued by something more. According to contemporary accounts, the president’s weakness and dizziness from the day before had worsened into a high fever and a severe headache. A few days later, he developed a rash all over his body, followed by blisters. Although the diagnosis was a mild case of smallpox—suggesting he had preexisting immunity—Lincoln was ordered to quarantine and didn’t resume official duties for almost a month. A more recent analysis suggests Lincoln’s case may have been more severe, and some researchers speculate that his doctor may have intentionally softened ...
