Poisoning Lincoln

[Ed Steers]

In speaking on Lincoln's assassination I sometimes mention that efforts were made to poison Lincoln while president-elect in Springfield. This claim does not appear in most accounts about attempts against Lincoln or discussions of his assassination. The claim comes from a letter by Joshua Allen, editor of the Lacun, Illinois "Journal" following his visit with Lincoln in January 1861 in the capitol in Springfield. Allen was a supporter of the Republican party and as such had access to Lincoln. The relevant part of the letter reads as follows: “He has got stacks of preserved fruit and all sorts of trash which he is daily receiving from various parts of the South sent to him as presents. He had several packages opened and examined by medical men [chemists] who found them to be all poisoned.”
The full letter appears in the publication, "For the People," Summer 1999, vol. 1, no. 2, pagev 4. I thought I might add this to the pot.

[Gene C]

Ed, (or anyone else) why do you think most accounts about attempts on Lincoln's life overlook this?

[RJNorton]

Here is the full transcription of the letter Ed is talking about:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Springfield Jan 26/61

Dear Mother

I arrived here, at the Capitol of the great Prairie State of Illinois this morning after an all nights ride in the car

The Legislature is at work which brings a great many people from all parts of the State in the city, and not only that but I suppose you know that Old Abe Lincoln lives here, and his visitors alone are enough to eat up any ordinary sort of a city.

Judge Fort of Lacon (you probably know him) came down with me, he and our representative to the Legislature with two wild fire eaters from the very blackest part of the South went with me or I with them to see "Old Abe" - A n_____r came to the door and showed us in. "Abe" who, seated beside a huge pile of letters as high as a mountain (I presume all from [ours?] after office) rose and welcomed us with a good jolly shake hands. We stayed about half an hour, during all of which the old fellow went on talking so that one of us could hardly get a word in edge ways. I think he almost converted the "fire eaters" into Black Republicans; however their opinion of him was very much altered. You would explode with laughter to hear him tell about the southerners trying to assassinate him. He has got stacks of preserved fruit and all sorts of such trash which he is daily receiving from various parts of the South sent to him as presents. He had several packages opened and examined by medical men who found them to be all poisoned.

Not time to write more this evening. Will likely go to Jacksonville the first of next week.

If I cant hear from you I think I take revenge by making you read lots of my scratching.

Your affectionate Son,
Joshua Allen

[RJNorton]

I found this letter to Lincoln in the LOC. It is difficult to read. The sender is anonymous. (If I am reading correctly the letter's author is a girl from Maine). The letter congratulates Lincoln and warns him to to be aware of poisoned food.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?col...b&recNum=0

[LincolnMan]

Didn't see this thread when posted. It is indeed interesting that it is not mentioned in assassination accounts.

[RJNorton]

Bill, here's another instance I don't see in most accounts. In Theodore Roscoe's The Web of Conspiracy, the author wrote, "One day (we are told) a woman spy disguised in widow's weeds, heavily veiled, walked into Lincoln's office and tried to poison him with a kiss. Smallpox. The story may be apocryphal, but the President did, in fact, contract a mild case of varioloid."

Does anyone know if the story is apocryphal? Has anyone seen it in another source other than Roscoe's book?

[LincolnMan]

Another very interesting tidbit for sure. What are "widow's weeds?" Her clothing?
How was she to transmit smallpox with a kiss; did she have it herself?

[RJNorton]

(01-25-2017 05:24 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Another very interesting tidbit for sure. What are "widow's weeds?" Her clothing?
How was she to transmit smallpox with a kiss; did she have it herself?

Yes, I think widow's weeds refers to the black clothing worn sometimes after a husband's death. I do not know about the rest; I am just reporting what is in Roscoe's book.

[HerbS]

Ed-Who do you think was the culprit to poison Lincoln?

[JMadonna]

The thought that poison might be used against him as a weapon had to have crossed Lincoln’s mind in early 1862, with the sudden death of his son Willie.

[ELCore]

(01-25-2017 05:42 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 05:24 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Another very interesting tidbit for sure. What are "widow's weeds?" Her clothing?
How was she to transmit smallpox with a kiss; did she have it herself?

Yes, I think widow's weeds refers to the black clothing worn sometimes after a husband's death. I do not know about the rest; I am just reporting what is in Roscoe's book.

Dictionary definition: "The deep mourning worn by a widow, including a crape veil, 'weepers,' etc. Now always plural; with or without widow's prefixed." And a "weeper" is "a broad white cuff worn by widows".

[L Verge]

(01-30-2017 09:27 AM)ELCore Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 05:42 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 05:24 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Another very interesting tidbit for sure. What are "widow's weeds?" Her clothing?
How was she to transmit smallpox with a kiss; did she have it herself?

Yes, I think widow's weeds refers to the black clothing worn sometimes after a husband's death. I do not know about the rest; I am just reporting what is in Roscoe's book.

Dictionary definition: "The deep mourning worn by a widow, including a crape veil, 'weepers,' etc. Now always plural; with or without widow's prefixed." And a "weeper" is "a broad white cuff worn by widows".

The "weeds" refers to the fact that the mourning material of both dresses and veils was usually black crape or bombazine - both of which had a tendency to turn a "rusty" color with age. Women used the same garments every time a death occurred, and over time, this faded color tended to have a "weedy" look (if there is such a term). At least that's what we found while researching a very popular exhibit at Surratt House on death and mourning the Victorian way.

I never remember seeing the term "weeper" used. Full mourning for a widow was one year of nothing but black. If a lady wished to come out of mourning after that year, she still adhered to about six months of wearing dark clothing with just touches of white or gray or lavender.