Abraham Lincoln : his life, public services, death, and great funeral cortege : with a history and description of the National Lincoln Monument, with an appendix

Front matter

'M

State of Indiana through the Indiana State Library i:^/rtt^ y

BRAHAM UlNCOLN.

Preface

In presenting to the reading public a new volume on the life of Abraham Lincoln, I do »not claim to have discovered any new mines of truth, but my aim has been to present old truths in a new and attractive dress, to divest the subject of all irrelevant and redundant matter, and give a concise and connected account of the life, public services and tragic death of the wonderful man whose character seems to enlarge and expand the more it is studied.

I have drawn extensively upon other biographers and historians, especially the writings of Hon. I. N. Arnold, Dr. J. G. Holland, J. H. Barrett, Ward H. Lamon, and others. In addition to the published works on the subject, I have derived very great advantage from more than four years residence among the people where Mr. Lincoln spent nearly thirty years of his life, and from a personal acquaintance with every member of the National Lincoln Monument Association.

I have not felt called upon to defend Mr. Lincoln's character against unfavorable criticisms of his religious views. His own words will answer them more thoroughly than anything I could say, and I must confess my astonishment at finding in his writings so

VI PEEFACE.

many places where he unqualifiedly gives expression to his belief in the overruling power of divine providence, and of his reliance on God for support and guidance. This feeling evidently strengthened, as he advanced in life. I am one of those who believe that God can and does convert men from the error of their ways, to be living epistles of the truths contained in His word; and that He did touch and turn the heart of Abraham Lincoln, his own words abundantly testify.

That wonderful funeral journey, which has no parallel in human history, except that of the Israelites carrying the body of the patriarch Jacob up out of Egypt, is delineated in detail.

The characteristics which distinguish this book from all others, touching the life of Abraham Lincoln, are: the Map, showing the course of his life and funeral ; and the full and minute account of the building and dedication of the National Lincoln Monument, erected by a grateful people as a visible symbol of their desire to commemorate his virtues.

J. C. P.

Springfield, III., Dec. 1874.

Table Of Contents

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Chapter I 17

Origin of the Lincoln family; Probably New England Quakers ; Removal to Pennsylvania, thence to Virginia, and from Virginia to Kentucky ; Abraham Lincoln, grandfather of the President, assassinated by an Indian ; Thomas Lincoln ; Birth of Abraham Lincoln ; His educational advantages ; Removal of the family to Indiana, and death of his mother.

Chapter II 25

Abraham Lincoln as a flatboatman ; Removal of the family to Illinois; The "deep snow;" Abraham builds a flatboat in Sangamon county and runs it to market; His studious habits; Volunteers to fight the Indians, and is elected Captain of a company; Is appointed Postmaster ; Learns and practices surveying ; Is elected to the Legislature; Studies law, and removes to Springfield; Personal description of himself; His marriage; Elected to Congress; His debates with Stephen A. Douglas, and speeches in different parts of the country, east and west.

Chapter III 37

Mr. Lincoln's speeches in the New England States ; They make deep impressions, North and South ; He is nominated by the Republican National Convention as a candidate for President of the United States, and is elected in November, 1860; His farewell address to

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his old friends in Springfield, on starting for Washington City; Incidentsof the journey, at Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany, Troy, New York City and Philadelphia.

CHAPTEK IV 51

Conspiracy to assassinate Mr. Lincoln ; It is discovered, thwarted, and he arrives safely at the Capital ; He is inaugurated President of the United States ; The rebellion bursts upon the country ; Fort Sumter surrenders ; First blood spilled in the streets of Baltimore ; The great uprising of the people in the North ; Preliminary Proclamation of Emancipation.

Chapter V 62

Proclamation issued, emancipating three millions of slaves; Is followed by signal success to the Union arms; Re-consecration of the Fourth of July ; Mr. Lincoln's Gettysburg speech ; Thanksgiving ; Mr. Lincoln re-nominated and elected for a second term.

OHAPTER VI 73

Mr. Lincoln very broadly hints that he would resign rather than return any of the freed people to slavery ; Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery; Spirited speeches on the subject; Ratified by three-fourths of the States; Proclamation declaring the end of Slavery in the United States.

Chapter VII 82

Second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States; His remarkable inaugural address ; Surrender of the rebel armies ; Raising the old flag on Fort Sumter ; Oration by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.

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Chapter VIII 88

Belief of Abraham Lincoln that God had a special work for him to do, and his willingness to accept the trust; Feeling that he would not outlast the rebellion; The last words he ever wrote; His assassination; Thrilling scene in the theatre.

Chapter IX 103

Surrender of the rebel army under General Lee, and demonstrations of rejoicing throughout the loyal States; Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and demonstrations of mourning throughout the Union ; A striking contrast between April 10 and April 15, 1865 ; Preparations for the funeral of President Lincoln.

Chapter X 113

Commencement of funeral services at the Executive Mansion, and in the Rotunda of the Capitol of the nation, on the nineteenth of April — also at towns and cities all over the Union, and in the Dominion of Canada.

Chapter XI 120

Multitudes view the remains at the Capitol ; Preparations for the Funeral Cortege; Selection of the Guard of Honor; Congressional Delegation ; Illinois Delegation and others.

Chapter XII 137

Closing scenes at Washington' and departure of the Funeral Cortege ; Arrival at Baltimore, and demonstrations of respect and mourning in that city ; Journey to Harrisbui'g, and manifestations of reverence and sorrow at that place ; From Harrisburg to Philadelphia, and incidents connected therewith.

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Chapter XIII 132

Reception at Philadelphia by an immense procession ; The remains conveyed to Independence Hall, where they lay in state thirty-two hours, passing the Sabbath in this sanctuary of the Republic ; The dead President and the broken Bell ; the tide of people pouring through the hall to view the remains ; Funeral services in the Philadelphia churches; Departure of the Funeral Cortege, and incidents of the journey through New Jersey.

Chapter XIV 140

The funeral train arrives in New York; Magnificent reception and gorgeous procession ; Ceaseless living tide through the City Hall, for more than twenty-four hours, night and day, to see the face of the dead President ; Another grand procession escorts the remains through the streets; Jewish, Catholic and Protestant divines vie with each other in demonstrations of respect to the memory of Abraham Lincoln; Oration of George Bancroft, Prayer by a Jewis Rabbi, and ode by William Cullen Bryant, all in Union Square ; General Scott at the depot.

Chapter XV 153

Departure of the train from New York ; Demonstrations opposite West Point, at Poughkeepsie and other places ; torchlight procession across the Hudson river ; Arrival at Albany ; The remains lying in state at the Capitol; Immense number of people visit the remains; Capture and death of Booth, the assassin; Gigantic procession escort the remains to the depot ; Departure of the Funeral Cortege.

Chapter XVI 159

Incidents of the journey from Albany to Buflalo; A panorama of torch lights, musical societies and bands,

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military and citizens, through the entire night; arrival at Butialo, and reception there; Thi'ongs of people view the remains ; Canadians come over and take part in the demonstrations.

Chapter XVII. 166

Departure of the Funeral Cortege; Incidents of the journey, and demonstrations of sorrow along the line; Arrival at Cleveland, and magnificent reception ; Temple erected for tlie purpose of exhibiting the remains ; gorgeous procession; Religious services; Throngs of people.

Chapter XVIII 172

The Funeral Cortege takes its leave of Cleveland at midnight in a heavy rain storm; Manifestations of sorrow at all the stations and towns on the road ; Arrival at Columbus ; Demonstrations of sorrow by the invalid soldiers; Great procession; Oration by Hon. Job E. Stevenson ; Departure from Columbus.

Chapter XIX 179

Incidents of the journey, and manifestations of sorrow along the road; Richmond and Dublin, and the Quakers of Wayne county, Indiana; Arrival at Indinapolis; The rain storm; Vast concourse of people view the remains throughout a rainy Sabbath ; Rules and regulations for running the train ; Departure at midnight.

Chapter XX 186

The people assemble in great numbers at all the towns and stations ; Lafayette ; Michigan City ; Arrival at Chicago ; Magnificent funeral arch ; Signal guns and lolling of bells ; Grand procession ; Former rebel soldiers

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in the procession ; Mottoes and inscriptions ; Splendid decorations; Demonstrations of respect to deceased kings of England and to President Lincoln contrasted ; Closing the coffin, and a torchlight procession to the the depot; The departure.

Chapter XXI 200

Journey from Chicago ; Demonstrations at stations and towns along the route ; Joliet; Bloomington; Arrival at Springfield; The procession; The remains at the State House.

Chapter XXII 207

Descriptions of the decorations at the State House ; Governor's Mansion and the Lincoln residence ; Mottoes and inscriptions; Monej' expended by the city of Springfield ; Entertaining the vast multitude ; Chicago Committee of One Hundred have their photographs taken in front of the Lincoln residence ; People march past the remains the entire night ; No cessation of visitors for twenty-four hours ; Singing at the State House by two hundred and fifty voices ; Funeral procession from the State House to Oak Ridge Cemetery ; Religious services at the tomb; Funeral oration by Bishop Simpson; Closing scenes at Oak Ridge; Table of distances traveled by the Funeral Cortege.

Chapter XXIII 224

National Lincoln Monument Association ; Construction of a temporary vault on the new State House grounds ; Newly erected vault not used ; Remains deposited in the public vault at Oak Ridge ; Entry in the register ; National Lincoln Monument Association organized under the laws of Illinois ; Personnel of its members ; Elects officers and adopts by-laws ; Decides to build the

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monument at Oak Rigde, and builds a temporary vault there ; Advertise for designs for a monument ; Adopt that offered by Larkin G, Mead ; Entered into contract with Mr. Mead for the statuary ; Order statue of Lincoln and United States Coat of Arms to be made ; Contract with W. D. Richardson to build the architectural part of the monument.

Chapter XXIV 235

Ground broken and work commenced on the monument Statement of the assets of the Association ; Executive, or Building Committee ; Description of the monument ; Engraving of ground plan, with explanation ; Engraving of terrace, with explanation ; Engraving of eleva- .tion of the crypts, with explanation ; Engraving of sectional view of the monument, with explanation ; Ashlars, containing the names of the States ; Engraving of round pedestal, with explanation ; Engraving of U. S. Coat of Arms, with explanation; Engraving of the monument as it will appear when completed, with explanations.

Chapter XXV 250

History and description of the stone from the wall of Servius Tullius.

Chapter XXVI 257

Hsstory of the design and progress of the work ; criticisms on the statue of Lincoln ; It is pronounced a signal success ; Death of Thomas (Tad) Lincoln, and depositing his remains in the monument; Governor Palmer becomes a member of the Association; Remains of President Lincoln removed from the temporary vault into the crypt designed for it in the monument.

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Chapter XXVII 362

Raising the money to build the monument ; Contributions by the Sunday School children; Colored people; Churches ; Free Masons ; Odd Fellows ; Indians ; Soldiers ; Missionary sends money from Hong Kong, China; Sunday School in Alaska; Citizens of New York; of Boston ; The only three States contributing to the funds; Work all paid for as far as completed; Tributes of the Nations, or Expressions of Condolence and Sympathy ; Present membership of the Association ; Executive Committee.

Chapter XXVIII 277

Appropriation of ten thousand dollars by the State of New York ; Special Committee visit Chicago, and unexpectedly receive proposals to furnish the means topay for the Infantry Group ; Visit New York City and receive pledges for the Naval Group ; Thej' visit Chicopee, Mass., and pronounce the Statue of Lincoln a success ; Great fire in Chicago ; Gentlemen voluntarily stand to their pledges made before the fire ; Infantry Group ordered ; Money raised for the Naval Group, and order given for the work to proceed ; Both Groups modeled ; Progress of the casting and finishing ; Boston pledges the money for the Cavalry Group ; Philadelphia pledges the money for the Artillery Group ; Gov. Oglesby's visit to Hon. Wm. M. Seward.

Chapter XXIX 289

Time fixed for dedicating the National Lincoln Monument ; Reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee; Preparations for doing honor to both events; Triumphal arches ; The selection of an Orator by the Monument Association; President Grant, Gov. John A. Dix, Hon. Gideon Wells, Hon. O. P. Morton, and Hon. R. J. Oglesby ; Committee on Invitations and responses to the same ; The Army Reunion ; Decorations

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in the city; the Procession; Arrival at Oak Ridge Cemetery ; Historical address by Hon. J, K. Dubois, including financial statement of the Association ; Oration by Hon. R. J. Oglesby; Dedication of the National Lincoln Monument; Unveiling the Statute; Dedication Poem, by J. J. Lord; Addresses by President Grant, Vice President Wilson, Hon. U. F. Linder, Gen. W. T. Sherman, and Hon. Schuyler Colfax; Larkin G. Mead ; Bedediction by Rev. Albert Hale.

Chapter XXXII 353

History of the Monument continued; Letter of Mr. Lincoln to Eliza P. Gurney; To Mrs. Bixby; Death of Vice-President Dubois, O. fl. Miner ami D. L. Phillips; Election of S. M. CuUom, C. S. Zane and Milton Hay, members of the Association ; Weight of the Groups : Extent of Monument Grounds; Original and Present Membership of the Association; Attempt to steal the remains of Mr. Lincoln.

Chapter XXXIII .' 372

Guides and Custodians versus Visitors; Lincoln Monument a School of Patriotism; The Lady visitor who had traveled in Europe; Eavesdropping visitors; Merchant and Ladies: The Methodists; The Doctor of Divinity; The Lady who did not want the Custodian to talk, and then asked him questions; Theatrical people; The Infidel; Newspaper reporters; The Interior and the Custodian's reply, etc, etc.

Chapter XXXIV 390

Sale and burning of the Emancipation Proclamation; Height of Mr. Lincoln; How he came to grow Whiskers; Hand ball and the news of his Nomination; Lincoln Guard of Honor;

Presbyterian General Assembly and the Lincoln Monument.

LIFE OF LINCOLN.

MONUMENTAL EDITION

Chapter I

About the year 1752, a family of Lincolns removed from Berks county, Pennsylvania, to Rockingham county, Virginia. In his "Life of Abraham Lincoln," Dr. J. G. Holland speculates, with much plausibility, of the probability that some of the Lincolns among the Massachusetts Friends, usually called Quakers, emigrated, with other New England Puritans, to Pennsylvania, and that in time they, or their descendents, removed to Virginia. From a paper written in December, 1859, by Abraham Lincoln, at the request of Hon. Jesse W. Fell, of Bloomington, 111., I find that he gives expression to similar views with reference to the Quaker origin of the family, but without anything more definite than the conjectures of Dr. Holland. A fac simile of the paper referred to above may be found covering three pages in Lamon's Life of Lincoln. I have good reason to believe that it was unknown to Dr. Holland at the time he wrote.

Daniel Boone, at the head of a small party of adventurers, left his home on the river Yadkin, in South Carolina, in the year 1769, to explore that part of Virginia, then known as the "Country of Kentucky." After suffering great hardships for about two years, the party returned with glowing accounts of the result of their expedition. In 1775, Boone, with others M^ho were charmed with the reports brought back by the first party, organized another, and with their families went into Kentucky for the purpose of becoming permanent residents. 2

The Revolutionary struggle came on, and the weary vears of war and bloodshed wore away, and still those hardy frontiersmen held their ground among the savages. As the war drew to a close, and Independence was achieved, reports went back from the wilderness to the colonies,' then become States, of the fertility of the soil, abundance of game and mildness of climate, in what came to be called the " Dark and Bloody Ground."

Among those for whom the new country had charms, was a man in Rockingham county, Virginia, by the name of Abraham Lincoln. I shall not attempt to exhibit the Lincoln family tree, but will content myself with following this one branch. He removed to Kentucky about the year 1781 or 1782, taking Avith him a young family. As near as can be ascertained, he settled in what is now Bullitt, but others say Mercer, county. In the year 1784, while Abraham Lincoln was at work in his field, unconscious of danger, he was stealthily approached by an Indian and assassinated, being shot dead. He left a widow with five children. The widow subsequently removed to a place now in the limits of Washington county, and there brought up her family as best she could. Three of these children were sons, who were named in the order of their births: Mordecia, Josiah and Thomas. The two daughters were named Mary and Nancy. Both married in Kentucky and remained there. Mordecia lived in Kentucky until late in life, when he removed to Hancock county, Illinois, where he left a number of descendants. Josiah, when young, removed to Harrison county, Indiana. Thomas, the third son, who was born in Virginia in 1778, in consequence of the early death of his father and the poverty of the family, was suffered to grow up in ignorance, and wandered about, laboring whenever and for whatever wages he could command. He never received any education from books, but mechanically learned to write bis name. He remained a bachelor until be was twentv-eigbt years of age. Tn 1800 Tbomas Lincoln was married to Miss Nancy Hanks, a young lady who came from Virginia to Kentucky witb some of the early settlers. Previous to bis marriage, Mr. Lincoln bad prepared a cabin for bis future bome in Hardin county. Into tbis bumble dwelling be took bis young bride, and remained tbere until tbree children were born : Sarab, Abraham and Thomas. The latter died in infancy, leaving only Sarah and Abraham. Abraham, of whose life I am writing, was born February 12, 1809.

Thomas Lincoln, the father, was a strong, healthy man, about five feet ten and a-half inches high. From his circumstances and surroundings he was compelled to dress plainly, but be was a man who was respected by all who knew him. Mrs. Lincoln was quite tall, being five feet five inches high, and was a " slender, pale, sad and sensitive woman, with much in her nature that was truly heroic, and much that shrank from the rude life around her."

Poverty was the lot of all in this humble home, but the father and mother were both pious, and sought at an early age to impress the minds of their children with religious truth, but religious institutions were exceedingly rude and irregular. For many years young Abraham Lincoln never saw a church, but be occasionally heard Parson Elkin pi'each. He was a Baptist, and Thomas and Nancy Lincoln being members of that denomination, he was frequently attracted to their cabin. The first ideas of public speaking Abraham ever received was from the sermons of Mr. Elkin.

Schools were scarce and very inferior. To supply the deficiency, Mrs. Lincoln, having received more education than her husband, would read aloud to her son and daughter from the few books that could be obtained in the ueighborliood.

Young men and women who have enjoyed the advantages of schools as they are now systematized in all the northern and some of the southern States, can not realize the almost entire destitution of the means for developing and improving the mind. Such establishments as the large publishing houses, with their classified series of text books, in almost every branch of learning, were then unknown. The schools were usually kept in houses that would be thought unfit for the protection of horses or cattle at the the present time.

The studies were confined to spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic. Grammar and geography were unknown. Such a thing as a dictionary was seldom or never seen by any person connected with the schools. The books in use were, Dilworth's spelling book, and for reading, any book, on any subject, that happened to fall into the hands of the different families. A country school is remembered by the writer about fifteen years later than the time Abraham Lincoln commenced his studies, and in a better part of Kentucky, when Dilworth's spelling book had given place to Webster's. The following is a partial list of the books used, as the best that could be obtained, by a large number of boys and girls about equally advanced in their knowledge of reading. Almost any Kentuckian, unless his lot was cast in some of the larger towns or cities of the State, has seen its counterpart. There being no possibility of classification, they would be called up to recite in something like the following order: The Bible, JEsop's Fables, Life of Washington, Robinson Crusoe, New Testament, Revised Statutes of Kentucky, Life of Marion by Horry, a book of Western Adventures, English Reader, Charlotte Temple, Columbian Orator, Thaddeus of Warsaw, Debates on Baptism, between Campbell and McCalla, and others about as well selected.

At about seven years of age, Abraham Lincoln was sent to a school, of which the above is, no doubt, a fair description. The only aid in his studies was an old copy of Dil worth's spelling book. He went two or three months to that teacher, and within that year went about three months to another teacher. With the instruction he received from these two teachers, Zachariah Riney and Jacob Hazel, and the aid of his mother, he learned to read and write legibly. The instruction the boy received from his mother was, no doubt more valuable to him than the schools. Later in life, Lincoln, speaking of his education, said: "If a straggler, supposed to understand Latin, happened to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizzard."

That part of the country in which Abraham Lincoln was born has since been separated from Hardin and erected into a new county, called Larue, with Hodginsville as the county seat. Hodginsville is about fifty miles south by east of Louisville, thirty-five miles northeast of the Mammoth Cave, and eight or ten miles east of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, either from Glendale or Nolensville stations. The nearest point from Hodginsville to the Ohio river is thirty-five miles northwest, through Elizabethtown, the county seat of Hardin county, to West Point, at the mouth of Salt River.

The cabin in which he was boru was situated about one and a-half miles from Hodginsville, on Nolen's Creek. The family remained there a year or two after his birth, and then removed to a cabin on Knob Creek, on the road from Bardstown, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee, at a point three and a-half miles south or southwest of Atherton's Ferry, on the Rolling Fork of Salt river, and six miles east or northeast of Hodginsville. As the family of Thomas Lincoln increased, he became dissatisfied with his situation. The laud where he lived was much of it broken, poor and stonv, and besides these disadvantages, Kentucky was exceedingly unfortunate in its early settlement on account of the insecurity of its land titles. From this combination of causes, he determined to sell his small estate and emigrate west of the Ohio river. The price he asked for his home was $300. In the year 1816 he found a purchaser, by taking his pay principal! v in whisky and a small amount of money. As soon as his sale was effected he built a small flat boat, launched it on the waters of the Holling Fork, loaded it with his whisky and heavier household goods and farming utensils, and commenced his journey alone. He floated safely down the Rolling Fork into Salt river and entered the Ohio. Here he met with the misfortune of having his boat upset, by which he lost about two-thirds of his load. Obtaining assistance, his boat was righted and he continued his voyage until he landed at Thompson's Ferry, now the town of Rockport, Spencer county, Indiana. He at once procured conveyance for his goods and took them about eighteen miles north, to a point near the present town of Gentryville, in the same county. He left his goods in the care of a settler, and returned to the river, and after crossing it, proceeded on foot to his Kentucky home, taking as near a straight course as possible. He at once commenced preparations for removal. The bedding and clothing for the family was packed upon three horses, and all set out overland for their new home. They occupied seven days in making the journey, and at the end of that time met with neighborly assistance in erecting a dwelling, and were soon ready to begin life in the wilderness.

The first journey, including the river voyage and land travel, must have been at least two hundred miles; although, on a straight line, the points of departure and destination were less than one hundred miles apart. He had moved about seventy-five miles west and fifty north and exchanged a slave for a free

L,TFT5 OF ABRAHAM LINCOT>N. 23

State. The removal took place in the autumn of 1S1() when Abraham Lincoln was in the ei^th year of his age. About two years after their settlement in Indiana his mother sickened and died, in the fall of 1818, leavine her husband, son and dau,2:hter to mourn her loss. The ability of Abraham to write was now for the first time found to be an acquisition of real utility. In their affliction, both father and son thought of their old friend Parson Elkin, and it was finally decided that Abraham should write to him imforming him of the death of Mrs. Lincoln, and ask the parson to come and preach the funeral. The preacher wrote them in reply, that he would be there on a certain Sunday and comply with their wishes. Notice was o;iven of the time set for the funeral, and about two hundred persons were collected from an area of nearly twentv miles in diameter. The minister was there at the appointed time, and taking his stand at the foot of the grave, with his congregation seated on logs and stumps, preached a sermon suitable to the occasion. The memory of his mother was always held sacred by Abraham Lincoln. After he had acquired great fame, while in conversation with a friend he said, with tears in his eyes, "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." It has been said that the foregoino- remark was made concerning his step-mother, but that is not very probable, as she was living at the time the remark was made. That he was strongly attached to her there can be no doubt.

A gentleman who resided at Charleston, Coles Co., 111., was present when Abraham Lincoln visited his step-mother soon after he was elected President, in the fall of 1860, and gave to the writer a description of the parting scene, which, if truly portrayed, would secure fame to the artist who should execute it. He said that when Mr. Lincoln was about to take leave of the aged, white-haired matron who had so faithfully supplied the place of a mother, she approached him with totterins: steps, surrounded by her humble neighbors, and leaning upon his breast, in faltering tones sobbed out the words, "Abram, I feel that I shall never see you again." As Mr. Lincoln stood, his tall form towering above hers, his left arm around her neck, his right hand raised and pointed towards Heaven, he uttered the single word, " Mother." He could say no more, and after standing a few moments in silence, with his head slightly inclined forward, they slowly separated to meet no more on earth.

Chapter II

When he was about twelve years of age, one of the neighbors, named Andrew Crawford, commenced teaching a school in his own cabin, and Abraham made diligent use of this opportunity to improve his mind. The same obstacle presented itself here that existed in Kentucky, with reference to books, but such as found their way into th^ new settlement, were secured for the boy to read. Some of the books read about that time, made a lasting impression on his mind. Among them were the Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan; the life of Washington, both by Weems and Ramsey ; the life of Henry Clay ; ^sop's Fables, and other books of like value.

In the latter part of 1819, a little more than a year after the death of his wife, Thomas Lincoln returned to Kentucky, and married Mrs. Sally Johnston, of Elizabethtown, a widow lady with three children. She proved to be a kind step-mother, and the two families grew up in harmony.

In 1822, Sarah Lincoln was married to a young man named Aaron Grigsby. She died about a year after her marriage, and thus Abraham was motherless and without a brother or sister.