Posted on 06/04/2006 12:04:38 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Mary Todd Lincoln Was Institutionalized After President's Death
(AP) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A historian has discovered letters written by Abraham Lincoln's wife during her stay at a sanitarium years after her husband's assassination.
It was believed Mary Todd Lincoln's son had burned the letters to hide details of mother's mental health.
But historian Jason Emerson came across photographed and handwritten copies of the letters in an attic last summer in Maryland. Eleven letters were from what have been called Mary Todd Lincoln's "insanity years."
Emerson writes in the current issue of American Heritage magazine that the documents contain no major revelations. He says they show Mary Todd Lincoln questioning her religious faith, and they reveal a mania she had about money and clothing.
Emerson is writing a book for Southern Illinois University Press about the letters.
Lincoln's wife died in 1882 in Springfield.
Too cool. I find Mary Lincoln very fascinating. There has been some controversy how Lincoln's son treated her in her latter years. Its a interesting contrast to see the "Two First Ladies" of that era. Mrs Lincoln had a pretty bad rout after Lincoln dies. Mrs Jefferson Davis in her latter years became some sort of a social correspondent for New York papers. During her last days in New York City,where she made her home, the band played Dixie as she was dying
"Actually, aside from that ... I did rather enjoy the play."
Both Mary Lincoln and Varina Davis are interesting characters, just as their husbands were ... shall we say, different?
I guess it wasn't easy being a President's wife in those days, any more than today. It's believed that Rachel Jackson, Mrs. Andrew Jackson, passed away partly because of the vilification of her character during the Presidential campaign.
I wanted to name a daughter Varina, but my husband wasn't having any :-).
You might find this interesting. I found it when I was trying to find out what New York Paper Mrs Davis worked for. I swear I read that she worked for one. Anyway this is pretty cool especially about the days before and after her death.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mysouthernfamily/varinajeffersondavis.html
Those wacky ex-first ladies, huh... Can't wait 'til we see the letters from Hillary Clinton's "insanity years"...
Thanks! I had a book, "Private Letters of Jefferson and Varina Davis." (I think I sent it back to my dad after reading it.) It was very interesting. I sympathized with her, having kids under those dreadful conditons. Thank God for antibiotics, anesthesia, and air conditioning! But she was SO neurotic!
"The White House, Washington, DC., October 17, 1906. Mrs. J. ADDISON HAYES, Hotel Majestic, New York City. Pray accept the most sincere sympathy of Mrs. ROOSEVELT and myself, THEODORE ROOSEVELT."
"The president and his wife also have sent flowers for the funeral of Mrs. DAVIS."
"The play was enjoyable..."
Gosh, look at those names! What a distinguished attendance. And such good manners from President and Mrs. Roosevelt. TR's mother was a Georgia girl, and his uncles were in Confederate uniform. With that and his Spanish-American War service, he really was a bridge between the Civil War years and the future.
If the contents of the letters were as innocuous as described... Perhaps the son did mistreat his mother by labeling her insane and putting her in an asylum.
I've ignored most of the Presidents' wives in my reading of history. Perhaps I'll remedy that. It could be instructive.
Mrs. Lincoln had her spouse murdered in her sight, I know that would ruin me. I had infinite sympathy for Jackie Kennedy, that's a burden no one should bear. Today's historians have no ability to relate to another's suffering. And I'm afraid today's therapy bunnies only feel sorry for someone if they're told to.
Abraham Lincoln's father was a devilishly cruel and sadistic man. His mother died when he was 7 ( I think), his dad basically said, "hey sport I'm outta here, you're on you're own." His dad appeared about 18 months later with a new wife. Abe's first reaction was to run behind his new stepmom, seeking protection from his dad.
Lincoln overcame unbearable odds and married a woman who had her own challenges. I'm not surprised seeing her husband murdered drove her out of her mind.
The world needs to cut Mary Todd Lincoln some slack.
I got interested in Mrs Lincoln after reading Gore Vidals book " LIncoln" That was a great book and kinda of gives a background to the common(whether wrong, exaggerated, or correct) view of Mary Lincoln that sort of developed.
"Can't wait 'til we see the letters from Hillary Clinton's 'insanity years...'"
Awww...you beat me to it, LOL!
Of course Varina was Jefferson Davis' second wife. His first wife was the daughter of Zachary Taylor, the future President of the U.S., who was strongly opposed to the marriage. Sarah Knox Taylor Davis died a few months after the wedding at the age of 21.
There's a very good book about Martha Washington out recently. Look in your library catalog.
No antibiotics. Life was a bummer in those days!
I'll check my Audible catalog. :-)
Audible + iPod = Education on a treadmill
LOL! I can read on the treadmill, up to 3.5 mph.
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