Who IS He? An American Civil War Not-Lincoln

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
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Officers and squirmy boy, 5th United States Cavalry in camp near Washington. Bearded, top hatted, not-Lincoln guy got around. He's in more than a few ACW images, like he's Where's Waldo. Noted at the time for resembling Lincoln, seem to have misplaced his name. Considering the number of faux Lincoln images around, you'd have thunk this one would have made the internet.

Ever run into something interesting, make a mental note to follow it up and immediately lose track of it? Story of my life.

This guy- here with officers ( 5th Cavalry ) and a squirmy little boy at one of the DC camps, I think. Top hat, beard and the Where's Waldo of camp photos- he's in more than a few. No, not Lincoln although you just know he's all over Pinterest as Lincoln.

One of my hand's down favorites that passed the Lincoln test on Pinterest. Identified as Lincoln at Gettysburg...... woman behind him seems a little fashion forward for 1865 as do men in ties behind her.
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A newspaper article ( era ) got into who he was, a staff member of Lincoln's and the bane of his existence was apparently being continually mistaken for his boss. There's a story behind him and I can NOT remember what it is. The other question is, why don't we know more of him? We tend to jump on every, single image where some poor guy wearing a top hat who hasn't shaved for awhile IS Lincoln, then see it on Ebay for 10k.

That's ok. Poor R.E. got accused of being this guy, on Ebay for a gazillion bucks. He's not R.E. or Lincoln. Whomever he may be we can assume he's a bachelor, evidence his hair. She'd have spit polished him before getting to the photographer's. Boys, huh?
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Sorry to get side tracked- BACK to the question, anyone know who was Lincoln's ACW look alike?
 
Yes, indeed, it is "Lincoln at Gettysburg" ... in 1938.
He's Orville "Slim" Mullis of Decatur, Ill. and he can be seen as Abe in a number of photos of the Last Reunion of the Blue and Gray during the 75th anniversary of the battle. His wife, who often appeared with him as Mary Lincoln back in Decatur, apparently was not at the reunion.
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[Harrisburg Evening News, 2 July 1938]​
He worked at the Staley Mfg. Co. in Decatur,but the company magazine, the Staley Journal for July 1940 gets his name wrong in the caption to this photo (they got it right on another page!):
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While his obituary gives his first name as "Orval":
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[Decatur Herald, March 5, 1965]
 
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Yes, indeed, it is "Lincoln at Gettysburg" ... in 1938.
He's Orville "Slim" Mullis of Decatur, Ill. and he can be seen as Abe in a number of photos of the Last Reunion of the Blue and Gray during the 75th anniversary of the battle. His wife, who often appeared with him as Mary Lincoln back in Decatur, apparently was not at the reunion.
View attachment 334407
[Harrisburg Evening News, 2 July 1938]​
He worked at the Staley Mfg. Co. in Decatur,but the company magazine, the Staley Journal for July 1940 gets his name wrong in the caption to this photo (they got it right on another page!):
While his obituary gives his first name as "Orval":
View attachment 334411 View attachment 334412
[Decatur Herald, March 5, 1965]
Golly gee willakers batman, this Mullis guy looks more like Lincoln than Abe himself!!!
 
There's an amusing 2005 documentary about Lincoln impersonators (excuse me, that's "Lincoln Presenters):
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Being Lincoln: Men with Hats, which is thus described on Amazon:

Meet John Mansfield, rookie Lincoln Presenter. John has been told all his life he looks like Abraham Lincoln but until recently has never thought seriously about donning the stovepipe hat. He finally decides to enter the famous Lincoln look-alike contest during the annual Lincoln Days Celebration in Hodgenville, Kentucky—the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. John gets help from Dennis Boggs, a veteran Lincoln presenter. Dennis has spent the last fifteen years acting out his mission to bring Lincoln to the world and to “rouse the Lincoln” in us all. Dennis shares his wisdom and insight with John, but will it be enough for John to bring home the grand prize of a “hundred dollar bill”? Being Lincoln—Men with Hats also looks closely at several other Lincolns and explores why the over 180 Abraham Lincoln presenters in the country do what they do. Meet a legion of Lincolns at the annual Association of Lincoln Presenters conference as they ham it up, discuss costuming challenges, share trade secrets and participate in photo ops galore. Hear about their calling and the obstacles they face (not everyone loves Lincoln the way they do). Follow Mike Cox as he strolls through Music City dressed as the great emancipator. These “honest Abes” are living tributes to our 16th President, and a testament to the power of Lincoln’s legacy. But what kind of man would spend $400 on a stovepipe hat, glue a pencil eraser on his face, and spend most of his time walking in someone else’s (very large) shoes?
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[by permission: Association of Lincoln Presenters, which counts about 150 Abes and a couple of dozen Marys]​
 
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So...back to @JPK Huson 1863 original question. Who is that guy? He's not THAT GUY*, so...who the heck is he? This reminds me that Union generals are a danged dime a dozen. I can rarely recognize one of them. Confederates, not so much. Not sure what that says about the South or their method of promotion.


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So...back to @JPK Huson 1863 original question. Who is that guy? He's not THAT GUY*, so...who the heck is he? This reminds me that Union generals are a danged dime a dozen. I can rarely recognize one of them. Confederates, not so much. Not sure what that says about the South or their method of promotion.


View attachment 334478


Best movie of all time, that quote one of my most over-used. That's a problem because kids have no clue what on earth you're referring to.

Union generals! I thought about a thread featuring around a gazillion of the images LoC gives us in The Brady Collection, seeing if anyone can identify one out of 20,000 ( that's a guess, there's a LOT ). Think I correctly identified like 3. What's so funny is, at least 75% are of well, paunchy, older men in lavishly ornamented uniforms. They're leaning on chairs, maybe to help support them when their knees buckle under 30 pounds of garland.
 
There's an amusing 2005 documentary about Lincoln impersonators (excuse me, that's "Lincoln Presenters):
View attachment 334419Being Lincoln: Men with Hats, which is thus described on Amazon:

Meet John Mansfield, rookie Lincoln Presenter. John has been told all his life he looks like Abraham Lincoln but until recently has never thought seriously about donning the stovepipe hat. He finally decides to enter the famous Lincoln look-alike contest during the annual Lincoln Days Celebration in Hodgenville, Kentucky—the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. John gets help from Dennis Boggs, a veteran Lincoln presenter. Dennis has spent the last fifteen years acting out his mission to bring Lincoln to the world and to “rouse the Lincoln” in us all. Dennis shares his wisdom and insight with John, but will it be enough for John to bring home the grand prize of a “hundred dollar bill”? Being Lincoln—Men with Hats also looks closely at several other Lincolns and explores why the over 180 Abraham Lincoln presenters in the country do what they do. Meet a legion of Lincolns at the annual Association of Lincoln Presenters conference as they ham it up, discuss costuming challenges, share trade secrets and participate in photo ops galore. Hear about their calling and the obstacles they face (not everyone loves Lincoln the way they do). Follow Mike Cox as he strolls through Music City dressed as the great emancipator. These “honest Abes” are living tributes to our 16th President, and a testament to the power of Lincoln’s legacy. But what kind of man would spend $400 on a stovepipe hat, glue a pencil eraser on his face, and spend most of his time walking in someone else’s (very large) shoes?
View attachment 334420
[by permission: Association of Lincoln Presenters, which counts about 150 Abes and a couple of dozen Marys]​


That's awesome although no one here seems quite as wonderful as Orville. They're all wonderful, though. I'd go see a meeting of the association given the chance although not as Mary. Too tall, too much blond dye, way too not-Southern to pass for a Todd.
 
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