In honor of Abraham Lincoln and his second inauguration on March 4, 1865, Brooks Brothers, the venerable New York clothier, created a magnificent greatcoat for the 16th president. The masterfully crafted garment of “wool finer than cashmere” bore the design of an eagle boasting Daniel Webster’s declaration, “One Country, One…

When an elderly acquaintance stopped by on a Saturday afternoon — just a few weeks after September 11, 2001 — I noticed a colorful pin (a picture of the Twin Towers) affixed to the lapel of his sport coat. It bore the inscription, “9–11–01 Liberty State Park.” “Such a beautiful…

One established an organization of women that raised $7,000 for the Continental Army. Another, just 16, rode 40 miles by horseback to gather a militia. As a “Camp Follower,” another not only cooked for and aided the soldiers but fought beside her mortally wounded husband. Meet Esther de Berdt Reed…