A Call to Arms (1918)

Lincoln's life in the White House at the time Fort Sumter was fired upon is shown, and the many problems he was forced to face at that momentous hour are brought out with great clearness. His calm when surrounded by hot-headed advisers, each one determined that his scheme for saving the Union must be adopted, and the depth of his feeling at thought of a divided nation are clearly indicated by the action of the story and Benjamin Chapin's acting of the President. The human side of Lincoln is amusingly shown by the incidents of his two boys, "Tad" and Robert, when they run away from their lessons and go swimming in a nearby pond. The way their father protects them from the consequences of their prank and helps them to dry their wet clothing before the grate fire furnishes a humorous sidelight on the character of our best loved President.