#2: The Lincoln Hat Story — 1864
One of the most repeated Lincoln danger stories claims a rifle shot knocked his stovepipe hat off while he rode near the Soldiers’ Home in 1864. The account came from guard Private John W. Nichols, who said Lincoln later showed him a bullet hole through the hat. Historians treat the episode cautiously because documentation is limited and Lincoln supposedly requested secrecy. It remains plausible, memorable, and not as firmly established as his later assassination today.
