President’s Perspective: The Last Full Measure of Devotion (opens in new tab)

Fifteen thousand people watched as the President of the United States rose to speak. Abraham Lincoln put on his steel-rimmed spectacles and glanced at his notes. The occasion was the dedication ceremony for the Soldier's National Cemetery, what we now know as Gettysburg National Cemetery. The committee responsible for dedication asked President Lincoln to deliver "a few appropriate remarks." He complied, using a scant 272 words to convey his message.