Lincoln's last words

[RJNorton]

(08-19-2014 05:16 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  BTW, is "We Saw Lincoln Shot" recommendable?

IMO, yes!

Regarding the carriage ride Katherine Helm wrote:

"The President and Mrs. Lincoln in spite of the very inclement weather went for their accustomed drive, and Mrs. Lincoln asked if he would like to invite any friends to drive with them.

"No, I prefer to ride by ourselves to-day," he answered. Mr. Lincoln was supremely happy now that the war had come to a close.

"We must be more cheerful in the future, Mary; between the war and the loss of our darling Willie we have been very miserable."

Mr. Lincoln seemed so happy and cheerful that Mary's heart was filled with joy. "I have not seen you so happy since before Willie's death," she said to him.

"Mary," he replied, "we have had a hard time of it since we came to Washington, but the war is over, and with God's blessing we may hope for four years of peace and happiness, and then we will go back to Illinois and pass the rest of our lives in quiet. We have laid by some money, and during this term we will try and save up more, but I shall not have enough to support us. We will go back to Illinois, and I will open a law office at Springfield or Chicago and practice law and at least do enough to help give us a livelihood."

On November 15, 1865, Mary wrote to Francis Carpenter:

"The Friday I never saw him so supremely cheerful. His manner was even playful. At three o'clock he drove out with me in the open carriage. In starting I asked him if any one should accompany us. He immediately replied: 'No. I prefer to ride by ourselves to-day.' During the drive he was so gay that I said to him laughingly, 'Dear husband, you almost startle me by your great cheerfulness!' He replied, 'And well I may feel so, Mary, for I consider this day the war has come to a close;' and then added, ' We must be more cheerful in the future. Between the war and the loss of our darling Willie we have been very miserable.' Every word he then uttered is deeply engraved on my poor broken heart."

Waldo Emerson Reck wrote, "Earlier in the week, Lincoln had proposed to Mary that they go abroad for a time after the expiration of his second term."