Mrs. Abraham Lincoln: A Study of Her Personality and Her Influence on Lincoln

6. The Peak and a Decline

CHAPTER SIX The Peak and a Decline Men in great place are thrice SCt'fJatttf. - FRANCIS BACON INCIDENTS AFFECTING MRS. LINCOLN March 4, I86I to April I4, I86S 1861 March 4, Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as President of the United States. A prit I5, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers . May 10, President Lincoln proclaimed martial law; Civil War on. May 23, Colonel E. E. Ellsworth killed; his body lay in state in the 'White House. June 3, Stephen A. Douglas died. Spring, it was becoming evident that there was to be a friction between the White House and Washington " high society." Summer, Mrs. Lincoln visited Saratoga, New York, and Long Branch, New Jersey, September I, Mrs. Lincoln visited Niagara Fall[1. October 30, Willie Lincoln wrote a poem eulogizing Colonel Edward Baker. November, Mrs. Lincoln had returned to the White House from her several trips. 1862 February 20, William W. (Willie) Lincoln died. March 9, Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac. April 6-7, Battle of Shiloh. Samuel B: Todd killed. June, Pekin, Illinois, a Council of the Union League organized. Summer, President and Mrs. Lincoln spent most of the season in the Anderson cottage, Soldiers' Home, Washington. September 16-17, Battle of Antietam. September 22, Emancipation Proclamation issued. September, Mrs. Lincoln visited New York City, at the Metropolitan Hotel. November, in the Illinois congressional elections, the vote indicated that the people were not behind the administration. N ovembe1' 29, Mrs. Lincoln returned from a visit to New England. December 21, Mrs. Lincoln in Philadelphia, Continental Hotel. 1863 January I, slaves declared free. January 12, Richardson, Democrat, elected Senator from Illinois. April, President and Mrs. Lincoln and Tad visited the Army of the Potomac. June, Yates prorogued the Illinois legislature. July Battle of Gettysburg. July 4, surrender of Vicksburg. David H. Todd seriously wounded at Vicksburg. July, Mrs. Lincoln thrown from carriage, and her head badly hurt. August, Alexander H. Todd killed at Baton Rouge. September, Mrs. Lincoln at Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York City. September 20, General B. H. Helm killed at Chickamauga . Dctobe1'} Mrs. Helm visited Mrs. Lincoln in the White House for one week. November 19, Gettysburg address. November, creditors of Mrs. Lincoln threatened to sue her. December 3-7, Mrs. Lincoln in New York City, Fifth Avenue Hotel. 1864 February 22, General Grant appointed Commanderin -Chief. Spring, bitter feeling shown by General Fremont. April 28, Mrs. Lincoln in New York City, Metropolitan Hotel. June 7, Lincoln nominated for president the second time by Union, or Republican, party. June 24, Mrs. Lincoln in Boston. August 29, McClellan nominated for president by the Democrats. August 31, Mrs. Lincoln in Manchester, Vermont. August, Battle of Mobile Bay. September 3, Atlanta fell. November, President Lincoln re-elected. December, Robert T. Lincoln in the army on the staff of General Grant. 1865 January 5, Yates elected Senator from Illinois. January 17, Levi O. Todd died. March 4, Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as President for the second term. March 22, President and Mrs. Lincoln visited City Point. April 3, Richmond fell. April 4, President and Mrs. Lincoln visited Rich~ mand. April 9, General Lee surrendered. A pril 14, President Lincoln assassinated. CHAPTER SIX The Peak and a Decline WHEN MRS. LINCOLN LEFT SPRINGFIELD FOR WASHington she had gained everything in life that she had set out to accomplish. Matrimony had been the goal of her young womanhood, as was meet and proper; it was the goal of every girl she grew up with. She and they accepted that as true, gloried in it, and talked about it no small part of their time. Well, she had married; and, more than that, she had outmarried any of them. Her husband was the President elect. She had outmarried her three sisters. Lincoln had proved a better catch than Edwards, the promising son of a rich father - the grand chief of Illinois public life for years. Ninian VY. Edwards was a prominent man in Springfield and in Illinois, but his success did not compare with that of Abraham Lincoln. Dr. William Wallace was an important man and well-to-do, a physician in Springfield ; but Frances's husband could not match position with Mary's. And, however successful C. M. Smith was as a business man, as a matrimonial catch Ann's husband was rated below that of her sister. No other Springfield girl had done so well as Mary. Julia Jayne...