Every school age child knows the story of Abraham Lincoln's life. His development from a back woods boy to lawyer to President is a wonderful story. He is also known for his writing. His style is that of a man of the people. He was President during one of the most influential times in U. S. history. Carl Schurz (1829 -1906) was a German revolutionary, American statesman, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. Schurz published a number of writings, including a volume of speeches (1865), a two-volume biography of Henry Clay (1887), and essays on Abraham Lincoln (1899). His essays add a unique element to the study of Abraham Lincoln.