Sarah Rickard

[RJNorton]

Thanks for posting this, Kerry. Here is what caught my eye:

"It might have been the belief that he did not love her, or the fear of the responsibilities of marriage, but at any rate for lack of a better word, I must say that Lincoln jilted her. The wedding day was set and all was ready, but Mr. Lincoln failed to appear. Mr. Lincoln went to the home of Joshua Speed, and almost immediately became violently ill. My brother-in-law, Mr. Butler, and my sister . . . went over and got him and brought him over to their home, where my sister nursed him through a long illness.."

Over the years William Herndon has been criticized by historians for "creating" the story of Lincoln being a "no-show" at his own wedding. Because Sarah Rickard's interview took place as late as 1907, was she going by what Herndon had already said? Or was she going by what she knew and saw herself? If the latter, then there is more support for Herndon's disputed version of the story IMO.