Today’s topic is Robert Todd Lincoln. Thanks for the suggestion, Judy!

 

Robert Todd Lincoln was the oldest of the four sons born to President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert was named after his maternal grandfather.

When he was three, his brother was Edward was born. Little Eddy died of tuberculosis before his fourth birthday, an event which devastated his parents. Later that year, Mary gave birth to her third son, a boy named William Wallace Lincoln. The family called him Willie. He was followed three years later by their final child, Thomas. As a baby, Thomas wiggled constantly. His father noticed it and observed the boy’s small body and large head. Accordingly, he bestowed the nickname Tadpole on him, which the family shortened to “Tad.”

Abraham Lincoln was often away attending courts or making political speeches when Robert was little and Edward was alive. He later made an effort to be home more. As a result, he was closer to his Willie and Tad. Meanwhile his eldest son left home to attend Phillips Exeter at age 16 and, from there, went on to Harvard.

Robert later reflected on his relationship with his father. “During my childhood and early youth he was almost constantly away from home…In 1859, when I was sixteen and when he was beginning to devote himself more to practice in his own neighborhood, and I would have both the inclination and the means to become better acquainted with [him]… I went to New Hampshire to school… Henceforth any great intimacy between us became impossible. I scarcely even had ten minutes quiet talk with him during his Presidency, on account of his constant devotion to business.”

Robert was reserved, particular about his manners, and fastidious about his clothes. He was sensible and kind but he also had a reputation for being self-absorbed and a little stuffy.

***

A strange twist of fate occurred between Robert Lincoln and Edwin Booth during the war. Edwin Booth was born into a famous family in the theatrical world. He was the second son of Junius Brutus Booth, one of the finest Shakespearean actors of his day. Edwin followed in his father’s footsteps and was particularly known for his portrayal of Hamlet. His brother, John Wilkes Booth, was also an actor.

In 1863 or 1864, Robert Lincoln and Edwin Booth found themselves in Jersey City at the train station. Robert was traveling from New York to D.C., and Edwin was traveling to Richmond with his friend, John T. Ford, who owned Ford’s Theatre in Washington.  In 1909, Robert Lincoln wrote this account of the incident to the Century Magazine:

“The incident occurred while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name.”

Neither of them imagined that their family names would come to be inextricably linked in the near future. Edwin and his brother John had a strained relationship, largely due to the fact Edwin had sided with the union while John had been loyal to the confederacy. Edwin wrote of his brother: “That he was insane on that one point [secession] no one who knew him well can doubt. When I told him that I had voted for Lincoln’s reelection he expressed deep regret, and declared his belief that Lincoln would be made king of America; and this, I believe, drove him beyond the limits of reason.”

President Lincoln never heard of Edwin Booth’s rescue of his son. For whatever reason, Robert elected not to tell his father about the incident.

Go to Part 2.