The early life of Abraham Lincoln, containing many unpublished documents and unpublished reminiscences of Lincoln's early friends

Front matter

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Cornell University Library

The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library.

Introduction

It has been only within the last ten years that the descent of Abraham Lincoln jprom the Lincolns of Hingham, Massachusetts, has been established with any degree of certainty. The satisfactory proof of his lineage is a matter of great importance. In a way it explains Lincoln. It shows that he came of a family endowed with the spirit of adventure, of daring, of patriotism, and of thrift ; that his ancestors were men who for nearly two hundred years before he was born were active and well-to-do citizens of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, men who everywhere played their parts well. Abraham Lincoln was but the flowering of generations of upright, honorable men.

The first we learn of the Lincolns in this country is between the years 1635 and 1645, when there came to the town of Hingham, Massachusetts, from the west of England, eight men of that name. Three of these, Samuel, Daniel, and Thomas, were brothers. Their relationship, if any, to the other Lincolns who came over from the same part of the country at about the same time is not clear. Two of these men, Daniel and Thomas, died without heirs ; but Samuel left a large family, including four sons. Among the descendants of Samuel Lincoln's sons were many good citizens and prominent public officers. One was a member of the Boston Tea Party, and served as a captain of artillery in the War of the Revolution. Others were privates in that war. Three served on the brig "Hazard" during the Revolution. Levi Lincoln, a great-great-grandson of Samuel, born in Hingham in 1749, and graduated from Harvard, was one of the minute-men at Cambridge immediately after the battle of Lexington, a delegate to the convention in Cambridge for framing a State Constitution, and in 1781 was elected to the Continental Congress, but declined to serve. He was a member of the House of Representatives and of the Senate of Massachusetts, and was appointed Attorney- General of the United States by Jefferson ; for a few months preceding the arrival of Madison he was Secretary of State, and in 1807 he was elected Lieutenant-Grovernor of Massachusetts. In 1811 he was appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Madison, an office which he declined. From the close of the Revolutionary War he was considered the head of the Massachusetts bar.

His eldest son, Levi Lincoln, born in 1782, had also an honorable public career. He was a Harvard graduate, became Governor of the State of Massachusetts, and held other important public offices. He received the degree of LL.D. in 1824 from "Williams College, and from Harvard in 1826.

Another son of Levi Lincoln, Enoch Lincoln, served in Congress from 1818 to 1826. He became Governor of Maine in 1827, holding the position until his death in 1829. Enoch Lincoln was a writer of more than ordinary ability.

The fourth son of Samuel Lincoln was called Mordecai (President Lincoln descended from him, being his great-great-greatgrandson). Mordecai Lincoln was a rich "blacksmith," as an iron-worker was called in those days, and the proprietor of numerous iron-works, saw-mills, and grist-mills, which with a goodly amount of money he distributed at his death among his children and grandchildren. Two of his children, Mordecai and Abraham, did not remain in Massachusetts, but removed to New Jersey, and thence to Pennsylvania, where both became rich, and dying, left fine estates to their children. Their descendants in Pennsylvania have continued to this day to be well-to-do people, some of them having taken prominent positions in public affairs. Abraham Lincoln, of Berks County, who was born in 1736 and died in 1806, filled many public offices, being a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, of the State Convention of 1787, and of the State Constitutional Convention in 1790.

One of the sons of this second Mordecai, John (the great-grandfather of President Lincoln), received from his father " three hundred acres of land, lying in the Jerseys." But evidently he did not care to cultivate his inheritance, for about 1758 he removed to Virginia. " Virginia" John, as this member of the family was called, had five sons, all of whom he established well. One of these sons, Jacob, entered the Revolutionary Army and served as a lieutenant at Yorktown.

The settlers of western Virginia were all in those days more or less under the fascination of the adventurous spirit which was opening up the West, and three of "Virginia" John's sons decided to try their fortunes in the new country. One went to

Tennessee, two to Kentucky. The first to go to Kentucky was Abraham (the grandfather of the President). He was already a well-to-do man when he decided to leave Virginia, for he sold his estate for some seventeen thousand dollars. A portion of this money he invested in land-office treasury warrants.

On emigrating to Kentucky he bought one thousand seven hundred acres of land. But almost at the beginning of his life in the new country, while stiU a comparatively young man, he was slain by the Indians. His estate seems to have been inherited by his eldest son, Mordecai, who afterward became prominent in the State ; was a great Indian fighter, a famous story-teller, and, according to the traditions of his descendants, a member of the Kentucky legislature. This last item we have not, however, been able to verify. We have had the fullest collection of journals of the Kentucky legislature which exists, that of Dr. R. T. Durrett of Louisville, Kentucky, carefuUy searched, but no mention has been found in them of Mordecai Lincoln.

It is with the brother of Mordecai, the youngest son of the pioneer Abraham, we have to do, a boy who was left an orphan at ten years of age, and who in that rude time had to depend upon his own exertions. We find from newly discovered documents that he was the owner of a farm at twenty -five years of age, and from the contemporary evidence that he was a very good carpenter ; from a document we have discovered in Kentucky we learn that he was even appointed a road surveyor, in 1816. We have found his Bible, a very expensive book at that time ; we have also found that he had credit, and was able to purchase on credit a pair of suspenders costing one dollar and fifty cents, and we have learned from the recollections of Christopher Columbus Graham that in marrying the niece of his employer he secured a very good vidfe. The second child of Thomas Lincoln was Abraham Lincoln, who became the sixteenth President of the United States and the foremost man of his age.

The career of Abraham Lincoln is more easily understood in view of his ancestry. The story of his life, which is here told more fully and consecutively, and in many points, both minor and important, we believe more exactly than ever before, bears out our belief that Abraham Lincoln inherited from his ancestry traits and qualities of mind which made him a remarkable child and a young man of unusual promise and power. So far from

Ms later career being unaccounted for in his origin and early history, it is as fully accounted for as in the case of any man.

So far as possible, the statements in this work are based on original documents. This explains why in several cases the dates differ from those commonly accepted. Thus the year of the death of the grandfather of Abraham Lincoln is made 1788, instead of 1784, because of the recently discovered inventory of his estate. The impression given of Thomas Lincoln is different from that of other biographies, because we believe the new documents we have found and the new contemporary evidence we have unearthed, justify us in it. We have not made it a sign of shiftlessness that Thomas Lincoln dwelt in a log cabin at a date when there was scarcely anything else in the State.

An effort has been made, too, to give what we believe to be a truer color to the fourteen years the Lincolns spent in southern Indiana. The poverty and the wretchedness of their life has been insisted upon until it is popularly supposed that Abraham Lincoln came from a home similar to those of the ' ' poor white trash" of the South. There is no attempt made here to deny the poverty of the Lincoln household, but it is insisted that this poverty was a temporary condition incident to pioneer life and the unfortunate death of Thomas Lincoln' s father when he was but a boy. Thomas Lincoln' s restless efforts to better his condition by leaving Kentucky for Indiana in 1816, and -afterwards, when he had discovered that his farm in Spencer County was barren, by trying his fortunes in Illinois, are sufficient proof that he had none of the indolent acceptance of fate which characterizes the "poor whites."

In telling the story of the six years of Lincoln's life in New Salem, we have attempted to give a consecutive narrative and to show the exact sequence of events, which has never been done before. We have shown, what seems to us very suggestive, the persistency and courage with which he seized every opportunity and carried on simultaneously his business as storekeeper and postmaster and surveyor and at the same time studied law. To establish the order of events in this New Salem period, the records of the county have been carefully examined, and many new documents concerning Lincoln have been found in this search, including his first vote, his first ofiicial document (an election return), and several new surveying plats. The latter show Lincoln to have been much more active as a surveyor than has commonly been supposed. We have also brought to light the grammar Lincoln studied, with a sentence written on the title page in Lincoln's own hand.

For the first time, too, we publish documents signed by Lincoln as a postmaster. These two letters are also earlier than any other published letters of Lincoln. Many minor errors have been corrected, such as the real number of votes which he received on his first election to the legislature, and the times and places of his mustering out and into service in the Black Hawk War.

The number of illustrations in the work is many times greater than ever has before appeared in connection with the eaily life of Lincoln. The scenes of his life in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois have been photographed especially for us, and we have collected from various sources numbers of pictures illustrating the primitive surroundings of his boyhood and young manhood, together with portraits of many of his companions in those days. Our object in giving such a profusion of homely scenes and faces has been to make a history of Lincoln's early life in pictures. We believe that one examining these prints independently of the text would have a good idea of Lincoln's condition from 1809 to 1836.

By far the most important of the illustrations of the work is the collection of portraits. This is the first systematic effort to make a complete collection of portraits of the great President. Our success so far encourages us in believing that before we end our work on Lincoln we shall have such a collection. Already we have some seventy-five different portraits. Of these, the great majority are photographs, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes. It was Mr. Lincoln's custom, after the introduction of photography into Illinois, to sit for his picture whenever he visited a town to make a speech. This picture he usually gave to his host; the result was that there now remain, scattered among his old friends, a large number of interesting portraits, of which nobody but the owners knew until we undertook this work. Thus of the twenty portraits which appear in this volume, twelve have never before been published anywhere, so far as we know.

It has been through the generosity and courtesy of collectors and of our correspondents and readers that it has been possible for us to gather so great a number of portraits and documents.

On all sides collections have been put freely at our service, and numbers of our readers have sent us unpublished ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, and photographs, glad, as they have written us, to aid in completing a Lincoln portrait gallery. It is not possible to mention here the names of all those to whom we are indebted, not only for portraits but for documents and manuscripts, but credit is given in inserting the material furnished.

Our effort has been to give in both text and notes as exact and full statements as the information we have been able to gather permitted us to do. If any reader of this volume discovers errors we shall be glad to receive corrections.

Chapter I. Faqe

Origin of the Lincoln FamUy. — Possessions of Lincoln's G-randfather. — Lincoln's Story-telling Uncle. — Account of Lincoln's Father, Thomas Lincoln. — Marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. — Character of Nancy Hanks. ^ — Thomas Lincoln's Manner of Life and Standing among his Neighbors 21

Chapter II

The Birth of Abraham Lincoln. — Lincoln's Childhood Home. — Reminiscences of Austin Gollaher, a Boyhood Comrade of Lincoln's. — Saves Lincoln's Life. — Lincoln's Early School-teachers. — Lincoln's Fondness for Study . . . . 43

Chapter III

The Lincolns leave Kentucky. — Hewing a Way through the Forests of Indiana. — A Cabin erected near Gentryville, Spencer County, Indiana. — Description of Lincoln's New Home. — Domestic Economy of the Lincoln Household. — Pioneer Fare and Apparel. — Death of Lincoln's Mother. — Lincoln's Strength and Skill as a Laborer. — Lincoln earns a Dollar as a Ferryman .... 51

Chapter IV

Lincoln's Struggle for an Education. — The Books he Read. — Lincoln as the Oracle of Jones's Store. — Slavery in Indiana. — Lincoln Develops into an Orator and Writer. — Life on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and its Effect on Lincoln 69

Chapter V

Lincoln's Literary Fame among his Neighbors. — The Champion of the SpeUing-bee. — His Retort to a Boasting Jockey. — His Affection for his Step-mother 80

CONTENTS.

Chapter VI. Page

Amusements of Lincoln's Life in Indiana. — Lincoln as a Sportsman. — Lincoln's Earliest Romance. — Early Bereavements . . . .88

Chapter VII

The Lincolns leave Indiana. — Parting from Old Friends in Indiana. — The Journey to Illinois. — Lincoln as a Peddler. — Begins Life on his own Account. — Splitting Rails for a Pair of Trousers. — Lincoln's Great Strength and his Pride in it. — Lincoln and the Professional Athlete . 94

Chapter VIII

Lincoln's First Work on his own Account. — Lincoln's Popularity in Sangamon County. — Rescues Three Comrades from Drowning. — Ingenuity in getting a Flatboat over a Dam. — A Visit to New Orleans. — New Orleans in 1831, and Lincoln's Expei'iences there .... 103

Chapter IX

Lincoln settles in New Salem. — He becomes a Grocery Clerk. — The Frontier Store. — Lincoln defeats the Champion Wrestler of Clary's Grove. — His Popularity in New Salem. — His Chivalry and Honesty. — Masters Kirkham's Grammar and enters Politics ..... 115

Chapter X

Lincobi's First Announcement to the Voters of Sangamon County. — His Views on the Improvement of the Sangamon.— Views on Usury and Education. — The Modesty of his Circular. — Pilots a Steamboat up the Sangamon 125

CHAPTER XL

The Black Hawk War. — Outbreak of Sacs and Foxes. — Lincoln volunteers and is elected a Captain.— The Manner of his Election.— An Inexperienced Captain and a Disorderly Company. — The Course of the War. — Stillman's Defeat.— Zachary Taylor's Way of dealing with Insubordination . 134

CONTENTS.

Chapter XII

Expiration of Lincoln's Term and his Reenlistment. — Major Iles's Reminiscences of the Cauipaig-n. — The Frantic Terror raised by Black Hawk. — Lincoln and his Company enter Michigan Territory. — End of the War, and Lincoln's Return to New Salem 144

Chapter XIII

Electioneering- in 1832 in Illinois. — Lincoln defeated of Election to the Assembly. — Looking for Work. — Berry and Lincoln buy Three Stores on Credit. — New Salem Merchants in Lincoln's Day. — Lincoln reads Burns and Shakespeare. — His Familiarity with Shakespeare . . 155

Chapter XIV

Lincoln begins to Study Law. — His First Law-book. — A Chance Copy of Blackstone. — Berry and Lincoln take out a Tavern License and hire a Clerk 166

Chapter XV

Lincoln appointed Postmaster. — Masters Surveying in Six Weeks, and becomes Deputy County Surveyor. — Surveying with a Grapevine. — His Work and Earnings as a Surveyor. — Early Illinois Towns laid out by Lincoln . . . 175

Chapter XVI

Business Reverses. — The Kindness shown Lincoln in New Salem. — His Helpfulness to aU about him. — Growing Esteem and Influence in Sangamon County. — Becomes a Second Time a Candidate for Member of the Illinois Assembly. — Lincoln on the Stump. — Lincoln's Election. —The Vote ... 187

Chapter XVII

Lincoln decides finally on a Legal Career. — His Methods of Study. — First Session in the General Assembly. — Distrust of Yankees in Early Illinois. — Description of the Early Frontier Legislator. — Questions before the Assembly. — Internal Improvements. — The State Bank . . . 197

10 CONTENTS.

Chapter XVIII. Page

Lincoln's Romance with Ann Rutledge. — Ann's First Lover, John McNeill, or McNamar. — McNeill's Departure from New Salem. — Lincoln's Engagement. — Ann Rutledge's Death, and Lincoln's Deep Grief . . 208

Chapter XIX

Abraham Lincoln at Twenty -six Years of Age. — A Review of his Career thus far. — His Excellent Preparation for what was to come . . 218

Appendix

I. Memoranda for Lincoln's Genealogy. By the Hon. L. E. Chittenden . 223

II. Christopher Columbus Graham and his Reminiscences of Lincoln's

III. A Leaf from Lincoln's Exercise-Book . 236

IV. The Oldroyd Lincoln Collection 237

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

, PAGE

The Earliest Portrait of Lincoln . . . Frontispiece

Lincoln in 1861. From a photograph owned by A. J. Conant . . 16

Lincoln in 1854. From a photograph owned by George Schneider . 18

Lincoln in 1863. From a photograph by Brady, Washington . . 20

Land Warrant issued to Lincoln's G-randpather ... 28

Notes op Survey op Land owned by Lincoln's Grandfather . . 23

Stockade Home of Lincoln's Grandfather .... 24 Daniel Boone .... .25

Eelics op Daniel Boone 2(>

Meeting-house on the Farm of Lincoln's Grandfather . 27

Jesse Head, who married Lincoln's Parents 29 Marriage Bond of Thomas Lincoln . . ... 30

Marriage Certificate of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks 31

Marriage Return of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks . . 32

Lincoln in February, 1860. From a photograph by Brady . 33

Christopher Columbus Graham in his One Hundredth Year . 35

Facsimile of a Passage prom Lincoln's Exercise-book . . . 36

House in which Abraham Lincoln was born . . .37

Thomas Lincoln's Bible .... .38

"View op Rock Spring Farm, where President Lincoln was born 39

EocK Spring, on the Farm where Lincoln was born 39

LiINCOLN IN 1858. From a photograph taken at Beardstown, lUinois 41

Appointment of Thomas Lincoln as Road Surveyor ... 42

Deed op Sale by Thomas Lincoln and Wipe . . . 43

A Kentucky Hand-mill .... . .44

Map Showing Points of Interest in Lincoln's Early Life . 45

Abraham Lincoln's Indiana Home . . . . 46

Lincoln Farm in Indiana ... ... 47

Grave of Lincoln's Mother ..... . 48

Lincoln in 1857. From a photograph by Hesler . . 49

Marriage License of Thomas Lincoln and Sarah Johnston . 51

Sarah Bush Lincoln, Lincoln's Step-mother . 52 Bond given by Thomas Lincoln at Marriage with Sarah Johnston 53

Buckthorn Valley, where Lincoln worked and hunted . 54

Lincoln's "Swimming-hole," in Little Pigeon Creek . . . .55

Beiok-mould used by Lincoln's Father . . . . . 55

13 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Well dug by Lincoln . . 56

The Crawford House, where Lincoln was a Farm-hand . . 57

Facsimile of Lincoln Family Record 58, 59

Dennis Hanks . . .60

Mouth of Anderson Creek, where Lincoln kept the Ferryboat . 61 JosiAH Crawford, for whom Lincoln worked as a Farm-hand 62

A Mississippi "Broad-horn" . 63

A River Produce Boat . . .63

Joseph Gentry, Lincoln's Comrade in Indiana . . .64

Lincoln in 1858. After an ambrotype owned by James K. Magie . 65

Samuel Crawford . .... . .67

Abraham Lincoln. After a photograph owned by J. C. Browne 68

Mississippi River Produce Boat ... .69

John Hanks 71

Judge John Pitcher, a Friend of Lincoln's in Indiana . . .72 Corn-husk Collar . ...... 73

Punched Sheet-iron Lantern ... .73

John W. Lamar, who knew Lincoln in Indiana . 74

The Rev. Allen Brooner, who knew Lincoln in Indiana . . 75

Lines from Lincoln's Copy-book .76

Fragment from a Leaf op Lincoln's Exercise-book ... 77

Leaf from Lincoln's Exercise-book 78

William Jones, foe whom Lincoln clerked in Indiana . . .79 Lincoln in 1858. From a photograph owned by Stuart Brown . . 81 Green B. Taylor, Comrade of Lincoln in Indiana . . . 83

Cabinet made by Abraham Lincoln .84

Pigeon Creek Church, which the Lincolns attended in Indiana . 85

The First Lincoln Monument 86

Ford where the Lincolns crossed the Wabash River . . 87

Grave of Lincoln's Sister . . . . 88

Corn-husk Brooms and Mops 89

A Lincoln Chair . 89

Pioneer Kitchen Utensils .... ... 90

Hill prom which the Lincolns last saw their Indiana Home . 91

Lincoln's First Home in Illinois . 92

Lincoln's Broad-axe . . . 93

John E. Roll, who helped Lincoln build a Flatboat . . 95

Map of Sangamon Town in 1831 . . 96

Lincoln in 1859. From a photograph made by Fassett of Chicago . . 97 Lincoln's Device for lifting Vessels over Shoals .... 100

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Lincoln, Ofputt, and G-reen on the Flatboat at New Salem . . 103

Thoiias Lincoln's Home in Illinois 105

A View of New Salem , .... 107

The New Saleji Mill Twenty-five Years ago .... 109

A Matron of New Salem in 1832 . ... 110

A New Saleji Bonnet . . 110

The Site of New Salem as it appears To-day 111

Lincoln in isr)7. After an ambrotype by Alschuler, Urbana, Illinois . 113 ]Map of New Salem . . ... 116

William G. Greene, an Early Friend op Lincoln's at New Salem 117 A New Salem Spinning-wheel . 118

A New Salem Interior, showing Costumes and Furniture . 119

View from the Top of New Salem Hill 121

Mentor Graham, the New Salem Schoolmaster 123

A New Salem Chair . ... . .123

Model of First Plough made m Menard County, Illinois . . 123 Lincoln's First A'ote. Photographed from the original poll-book 126

Above the Dam at New Salem 131

The Kirkham's Grammar used by Lincoln at New Salem 132

A New Salem Centre Table . 133

A Clary's Grove Log Cabin . . 134

Nancy Green, a Friend of Lincoln's at New Salem . 13.5

John A. Clary, One of the "Clary's Grove Boys" . . . 136

Dutch Oven . .137

View of the Sangamon River near New Salem . . 139

Site of Denton Offutt's Store . . . 140

John Potter, Neighbor of Lincoln's at New Saleji . 141

Bowling Green's House . . . . .143

Abraham Lincoln. From a photograph owned by T.

The Black Hawk

White Cloud, The Prophet

Black Hawk

Whirling Thunder

Zachary Taylor .

Black Hawk War Relics .

Scene op Stillman's Defeat

Major Robert Anderson .

Bad Axe Battle-ground .

Lincoln in 1860. From a photograph by Hesler

Black Hawk War Monument at Kellogg's Grove

H. Bartlett, Boston 145

. 149 150 151

. 164

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

. 165

. 168

. 169

. 171

. 177

. 185

. 185

. 186

. 187

. 193

. 196

202, 203

. 207

Lincoln in 1858. After an ambrotype by C. Jackson, Pittsfleld, Illinois 209 Two New Salem Chairs . . ... 211

Major John T. Stuart, Lincoln's First Law Partner . 212

Ann Eutlbdgb's Well .... .... 213

Lincoln in 1858. From a photograph owned by Mrs. Harriet Chapman 215 Facsimile op an Early Legal Opinion by Lincoln . sig

217 219 220 221 222

John Reynolds, Governor of Illinois 1881-1834 .

Elijah Iles, Lincoln's Captain in the Black Hawk War .

A Black Hawk War Discharge signed by Lincoln .

Map op Illinois in 1832

Election Return written by Lincoln as Clerk in 1832

A Stage-coach Advertisement, 1834

Berry and Lincoln's Store in 1895 .

Lincoln Early in 1861. From a photograph owned by H. W. Fay

Tavern License issued to Berry and Lincoln

The State-house at Vandalia, Illinois . . .

Daniel Green Burner, Berry and Lincoln's Clerk .

The Rev. John M. Cameron, a New Salem Friend of Lincoln's

James Short, a New Salem Friend op Lincoln's

Squire Coleman Smoot, a New Salem Friend of Lincoln's

Samuel Hill, at whose Store Lincoln kept the Post-office

Mary Ann Rutledge, Mother op Ann Mayes Rutledge

Boot- JACK made and used by Lincoln when a Young Man

Letter and Receipt written by Lincoln as Postmaster

Letter written by Lincoln as Postmaster .

John Calhoun, under whom Lincoln learned Surveying

Lincoln's Surveying Instruments . . . . .

Lincoln in the Summer op 1860. From a photograph by Tuttle

Lincoln's Saddle-bags

View op the Sangamon River near New Salem .

Stephen A. Douglas

Report op a Road Survey by Lincoln .

Map made by Lincoln op a Road in Menard County, Illinois .

Survey of a Section of Land by Lincoln

Lincoln in 1861. From a photograph by Hesler, Chicago

Map of Albany, Illinois, made by Lincoln ....

James MoGrady Rutledge, Cousin op Ann Rutledge Ann Rutledge's Grave in Concord Cemetery Joseph Duncan, Governor op Illinois 1834-1838 .

Dr. Francis Regnier, the New Salem Physician .

Ann Rutledge's Grave in Oakland Cemetery

ABKAHAM LINCOLN IN 1861.— NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

From a photograph owued by Allen Jasper Conant, to whose courtesy we owe the right to reproduce it here. This photograph was taken in Springfield, early in 1861, by C, S. German.

LINCOLN IN 1854.— HITHERTO ITNrUBHSHED.

From a photograph owned by Mr. George Schneider of Chicago, Illinois, former editor of the " Staats Zeitung. ' '.le most influential anti-slavery German newspaper of the West. Mr. Schneider first met Mr. Lincoln in 1858, 1 Springfield. "He was already a man necessary to know," says Mr. Schneider. In 1854 Mr. Lincoln was In Ctii'cago, and Mr. Isaac N. Arnold, a prominent lawyer and politician of Illinois, invited Mr. Schneider to dine witt jir. Lincoln. After dinner, as the gentlemen were going down town, they stopped at an itinerant photograph galli. 7, and Mr. Lincoln had the above pictnre taken for Mr. Schneider. The newspaper he holds in his hands is the ' Press and Tribune."

From a photograph by Brady, taken in Washington.

THE EARLY LIFE

OP

Chapter I. The Origin Op The Lixcoln Pamily

KENTUCKY.

-THE LINCOLNS IN

HE family from Avhieli Abraham Lincoln descended came to America from Norfolk, England, in 1637 A brief table * will show at a descent :

glance the line of

Samuel Lincoln, born in 1620. Emigrated from Norfolk County, Eng-land, to Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1637. His fourth son was

Mordecai Lincoln, born in 1667. His eldest son

Mordecai Lincoln, born in 1686. Emigrated to New Jersey and

Pennsylvania, 1714. His eldest son was John Lincoln, born before 1725. In 1758 went to Virginia. His

third son was Abraham Lincoln, date of birth uncertain. In 1780, or thereabouts, emigrated to Kentucky. His third sou was Thomas Lincoln, born in 1778, whose first son was Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States.

For our present purpose it is not necessary to examine the lives of these ancestors farther back than the grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, who has been supposed to have been born in A"irginia in 1760. A consideration of the few facts we have of his early life shows clearly that this date is wrong. It is known that

* This table was prepared especially for tliis work by the Hon. L. E. Chittenden of New York, Register of the Treasury under Mr. Lincoln. In the Appendix will be found a full memorandum of Lincoln's genealogy, also prepared by Mr. Chittenden.

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LAND WAURANT ISSUED TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN, GRANDFATHER OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

From tte original, owned by R. T. Durrett, LL.D., of Louisville, Kentucky. Tiie land records of Kentucky show that Abraham Lincoln entered two tracts of land when iu Kentticky in the spring and summer of 1780. These entries, furnished us by Dr. Durrett, are as follows :

May 29, 1780.— " Abraham Linkhorn enters four hundred acres of land on Treasui^ Warrant, laying on Floyd's Fork, about two miles above Tice's Fork, beginning at a Sugar Tree S. B., thence east three hiindred poles, then north, to include a small improvement."— _Z/««(i Beglsier^ page 107.

June 7, 1780.— "Abraham Linkhorn enters eight hundred acres upon Treasury Warraut, about six miles below Green River Lick, including an improvement made by Jacob Gum and Owen Diver."— Page 126.

The first tract of land was surveyed May 7, 1785 (see page 23), and the second on October 12, 1784. Tn 1782 he entered a third tract of land, a record of which is found in Daniel Boone's field-book. This entry reads : " Abraham Lincoln enters five hundred acres of land on a Treasury Warrant, No. 5994, beginning opposite Charles Yancey's upper line, on the south side of the river, running south two hundred poles, then up the river for quantity ; December 11, 1782." This is supposed by some authorities to be a tract of five hundred acres of land in Campbell County, surveyed and patented in Abraham Lincoln's name, but after his death. The spelling of the name Linkhorn instead of Lincoln, as it is invariably in other records of the family, has caused some to doubt that the Treasury warrant above was really issued to the grandfather of the President. The family traditions, however, all say that the elder Abraham owned a tract on Floyd's Fork. The misspelling and mispronunciation of the name Lincoln is common iu Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. The writer of this note has frequently heard persons in Illinois speak of "■ Abe Linkhorn " and " Abe Linkern."