Although more than 350,000 Blacks served in the American army during the war, only a few thousand would saw combat because of War Department prejudice. The Lincoln quote, complete with a facsimile signature, is a paraphrase of the Gettysburg Address.
Patriotic songs were another way to encourage support for the war. This 1918 example features music by Baker and Blink and lyrics by Carol Hirsh. The cover illustration features a flag bedecked Columbia beseeching a seated statue of Abraham Lincoln for advice. Although the statue is very reminiscent of Daniel Chester French’s famous Lincoln Memorial, that work would not be unveiled to the public until 1920.
