Lincoln’s 208th Birthday Day Celebration

By Joseph Bordonaro · Originally published April 2017 · pp. 2–3

James Hayney as Abe Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address.

Lincoln’s 208th Birthday Day Celebration By Joseph Bordonaro PHILADELPHIA, PENN.— The Abraham Lincoln Foundation Hosts “Lincoln Day” Celebration. Members of the Delaware Valley reenacting community helped celebrate the 16th President’s 208th birthday on February 13, at the historic Union League Building in Philadelphia. The celebration is held on Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, if that day is a week day. Otherwise it is held either on the Friday or Monday closest to his birthday. Hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Foundation, the events included a ceremony at the Broad Street entrance of the Union League, highlighted by a performance of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address by James Hayney of Camp Hill, Pa.; a luncheon; a keynote address by MBE Jeremy Black, a professor of history at the University of Exeter in England, a parade from the Union League Building to Independence Hall, where Lincoln’s raising of a new 34 star flag occurred on Washington’s Birthday, Feb. 22, 1861; and a ceremony at

Lincoln Day Celebration

Civilian reenactors were well represented at the Lincoln Day (Photos by Joe Bordonaro)

Civilian reenactors were well represented at the Lincoln Day celebration. (Photos by Joe Bordonaro) the Lincoln Statue in Fairmount Park showing Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation. The Union League in Philadelphia was founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. Its motto is “Amor Patriae Ducit or Love of Country Leads.” This love of country was very much on display on February 13. The Civil War reenactor component of the Lincoln Day celebration was organized by Dr. Anthony Waskie. A member of the Union League, “Andy” Waskie is a professor at Temple University and also performs as General Meade, which makes him the perfect person to coordinate the participation of Civil War reenactors in the day’s events. More information about the Abraham Lincoln Foundation may be found at their website: www.ulheritagecenter.org Information about the over 90 books written by MBE Jeremy Black may be found at jeremyblackhistorian.wordpress.com Information about the Union League of Philadelphia may be found at: http://www.unionleague.org Information about Lincoln impersonator James Hayney can be found at www. LookingForALincoln.com Professor Anthony portrays General Meade.

Beck’s Philadephia Brigade Band performed patriotic airs.

Waskie George

Union reenactors fire a salute to President Lincoln.

Phillip Neff, of Paulsboro, NJ, points to the name of an ancestor, Col. Harmanus Neff, of the 196th Pa. Infantry.