Newspaper illustration of Charles S. Stratton as General Tom Thumb with Abraham Lincoln from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper The top image features both Charles S. Stratton - known as General Tom Thumb, and George Washington Morrison Nutt - known as Commodore Nutt, meeting president Abraham Lincoln. Barnum stands on the left hand side of the image, one arm propped on a podium and his top hat in hand, watching this. Stratton and Nutt stand in the middle with sour faces. President Lincoln is seated to greet. His desk stands off to the left. Behind the group are two advisers making concerned faces saying, "Oh lord my situation!!" The text below the illustration reads, "The coming men!" The Great Showman: "Mr. President, since your naval and military heroes don't seem to get on, try mine!" Mr. Lincoln: "Well, I'll do it to oblige you, but I think mine are the smallest." Advertisements are underneath the illustration. The next page describes Charles' and Lavinia's marriage. Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was an entertainer and Bridgeport Conn. native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum at age 4, as exhibiting those with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and he and Warren were able to live comfortably when not working. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him. George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1848-May 25, 1881), known as Commodore Nutt, was an entertainer who worked for P.T. Barnum. Nutt was exhibited for his small stature at a young age, and he signed with Barnum at age 13. He became the new star at the American Museum. Nutt was sometimes paired with Charles S. Stratton, the first little person Barnum worked with, and later Nutt joined forces with Stratton, and Stratton's wife Lavinia and Lavinia's sister Minnie for a world tour. He quit the company in 1872, and his own attempts to start a company never quite took off, and his financial resources dwindled. Nutt died of Bright's disease on May 25, 1881 in New York City. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, February 28, 1865
