Abraham Lincoln

President Lincoln sought Hay and Nicolay’s help with writing his memoir in 1864. The secretaries encouraged Lincoln to authorize their project, which he finally allowed less than three months before he was assassinated. After the President’s death, Hay and Nicolay weren't able to publish their project immediately, but two years later Representative Isaac Newton Arnold distributed his own Lincoln biography, which delayed them even more. Further, Robert Lincoln had to verify the book's publication. Hay and Nicolay didn't have enough time or money to edit the book; they were still grieving for their late President and best friend.