The president enjoyed inviting guests to his "retreat" for relaxing Social gatherings as well as politically discreet consultations away from While House scrutiny. Senator Orville Browning, a Republican from Illinois and a family friend of the Lincolns, noted in his diary many meetings in 1862 at the Soldiers' Home with social acquaintances, business leaders, and political figures.
Lincoln's fondness for spending time at the Soldiers' Home may have reflected his lifelong desire to talk with and listen to ordinary people. When he encountered wounded soldiers on his commute to the White House and on visits to military hospitals, he could gauge the course of the w r at the front, directly from those fighting it. By expressing his genuine interest in the views of his friends and opponents, Lincoln was often able to win over skeptics. Bui his accessibility also left him vulnerable to "seekers" who pursued him even to his Soldiers' Home parlor.