Ann Rutledge Fact or Fiction ?

Peter Stines

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Apr 10, 2007
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I know this is an old topic but I'm still curious. It looks like there was indeed an Ann Rutledge but did Lincoln court her ? How about the stories of him being suicidal after her death ? Sandburg, and Herndon both say YES, others say NO. :smile coffee:
 
If there were any feelings involved, it would only be normal to feel a sense of sadness. Suicidal for such a formidable person would seem unlikely. All you need to know is how he withstood the deaths of his own children. He was extremely saddened by their loss.
 
I know this is an old topic but I'm still curious. It looks like there was indeed an Ann Rutledge but did Lincoln court her ? How about the stories of him being suicidal after her death ? Sandburg, and Herndon both say YES, others say NO. :smile coffee:


There WAS an Ann and Lincoln was a ' suitor ' but beyond that nope. Herndon was an ex-Lincoln law partner, nose out of joint because Lincoln left him behind in Springfield, who claimed he and Lincoln were buddies joined at the hip- earned him a LOT of cash. ( they were not buddies ). He also loathed the bejammers out of Mary. McClure's magazine did an era expose on the validity of Herndon's claims- it's good stuff, methodically compiled and unlike Herndon, sourced. Herndon used a girl who tragically died young ( and couldn't refute his dreck ) as a weapon with which to bludgeon Mary Todd.

Herndon is in my files as The Man Lincoln Forgot To Punch In His Head.

Interestingly, Varina Davis lived all her married life with the same silliness- that Davis married her but never loved her because his heart was buried with his first wife. Mary Custis Lee gets portrayed as some crippled millstone around her husband's neck. It's like famous men weren't allowed to have perfectly normal, nice wives like everyone else.
 
What sources did Sandburg use for his story? I would bet it was Herndon. Herndon, as Eric Wittenberg says about Phil Sheridan, had a terrible allergy to the truth.
Herndon most likely. I tend to take Sandburg with a grain of salt. No doubt he did a LOT of research but used semi-reliable sources. He quotes Dennis Hanks a lot but we know how "reliable" he was.....
 
There WAS an Ann and Lincoln was a ' suitor ' but beyond that nope. Herndon was an ex-Lincoln law partner, nose out of joint because Lincoln left him behind in Springfield, who claimed he and Lincoln were buddies joined at the hip- earned him a LOT of cash. ( they were not buddies ). He also loathed the bejammers out of Mary. McClure's magazine did an era expose on the validity of Herndon's claims- it's good stuff, methodically compiled and unlike Herndon, sourced. Herndon used a girl who tragically died young ( and couldn't refute his dreck ) as a weapon with which to bludgeon Mary Todd.

Herndon is in my files as The Man Lincoln Forgot To Punch In His Head.

Interestingly, Varina Davis lived all her married life with the same silliness- that Davis married her but never loved her because his heart was buried with his first wife. Mary Custis Lee gets portrayed as some crippled millstone around her husband's neck. It's like famous men weren't allowed to have perfectly normal, nice wives like everyone else.
Yep, I knew Herndon hated Mary but then so did a lot of folks. I'd like to see the McClure's that you mention.
 
There WAS an Ann and Lincoln was a ' suitor ' but beyond that nope. Herndon was an ex-Lincoln law partner, nose out of joint because Lincoln left him behind in Springfield, who claimed he and Lincoln were buddies joined at the hip- earned him a LOT of cash. ( they were not buddies ). He also loathed the bejammers out of Mary. McClure's magazine did an era expose on the validity of Herndon's claims- it's good stuff, methodically compiled and unlike Herndon, sourced. Herndon used a girl who tragically died young ( and couldn't refute his dreck ) as a weapon with which to bludgeon Mary Todd.

Herndon is in my files as The Man Lincoln Forgot To Punch In His Head.

Interestingly, Varina Davis lived all her married life with the same silliness- that Davis married her but never loved her because his heart was buried with his first wife. Mary Custis Lee gets portrayed as some crippled millstone around her husband's neck. It's like famous men weren't allowed to have perfectly normal, nice wives like everyone else.

An article that examines the Ann Rutledge mythology promoted by Herndon. And finds evidence on its existence pretty wanting.

 
There has to be a Ann Rutledge to fit Lincoln's life of tragedy!
Regards
David
 
There has to be a Ann Rutledge to fit Lincoln's life of tragedy!
Regards
David
 
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