Were Lincoln and Ward Hill Lamon law "partners?"

[Rob Wick]

Roger,

I knew what you meant. I didn't think this was a trivia question.

But your example is a good one. Could we register this as a mistake that Sandburg made up from whole cloth? No, since it didn't originate with him. Can we say Sandburg was too gullible in accepting Herndon's word? Ida Tarbell and William E. Barton disagreed with it, but in Tarbell's case much of that came about because of her intense dislike of Herndon.

Albert J. Beveridge, on the other hand, accepts it, and points out that Elizabeth Edwards made the comment three times, only to be shushed by her husband when she was talking to Jesse Weik about it. Of course, Beveridge wanted use of the Herndon-Weik papers since he could not get past Robert Todd Lincoln to use Lincoln's papers.

This, I believe, fits into my third category, as an interpretative question. Given the evidence available to him in 1924-1926, Sandburg could have gone either way, but chose to believe Herndon. Maybe it was for the drama, but I think at the time it still could be considered an honest interpretation.

Oh, and thanks Blaine for your information. I sincerely appreciate it.

Best
Rob