The Lincolns' Dishonest Gardener

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John Watt was a talented gardener and dishonest head groundskeeper. Mary Todd Lincoln protected Watt from the accusations of others about his expense padding, just as he abetted her in misallocation of public funds. He quickly ingratiated himself with Mrs. Lincoln through his agreeable demeanor and daily bouquets. He accompanied the First Lady to New York in 1861 to pick out place settings for the White House. His dishonesty was uncovered by Major Benjamin B. French during the administration of Franklin Pierce. He avoided dismissal at that time. French helped defend Watt, however, when he was accused of disloyalty in the autumn of 1861. Watt clashed with presidential secretary John Nicolay, who oversaw the expenditure of White House funds. Assistant Treasury Maunsell B. Field later wrote that he had learned “that a state dinner was paid for out of an appropriation for fertilizers for the grounds connected with the Executive Mansion.”1

continued: http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org...mployees-and-staff/employees-staff-john-watt/
 
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