Preponderance of the Evidence in a Civil Trial

[Steve Whitlock]

David,

So, is it Herndon's "Life Of Lincoln" version that got the D rating? I haven't read the Fehrenbacher book, and am regretting I ever mentioned it. Coming from a time when Lincoln's parentage, and his mother's lineage is poorly treated, I can't get real excited about verbatim conversation statements from so long ago. The only true way to resolve such conjecture is to find original written sources with collaboration, which wont be forthcoming here, since supposedly Lincoln only made such a statement to Herndon, with hints of comments we don't know given to Scripps, if I understand the situation correctly. I imagine that's why the D rating. However, I tend to believe the conversation took place, and deserves resolution, if it can be found. I've read a great deal of misinformation where the family of Lincoln is concerned, and this may, or not, be another scrap.

Austin Gollaher was a special friend of Lincoln's, but why should we believe the accuracy of conversations they had as boys, later related by Mr Gollaher? For that matter any private conversations we have with someone that they later relate can only be judged for accuracy by each of us making a personal judgement of whether or not to believe it, irrespective of what rating it might get by an independent self-appointed arbiter.

We can't even agree here on what's been said, and by whom, in a short span of time. David, thank you for the source information of Herndon's comments about the carriage ride, but I didn't offer a source for the comments that I didn't make when I presented Rich's argument verbatim. I think he was offering a version of sorts for Herndon's comments, but if he was quoting I don't know the source; although, I do recall seeing another version, or two, with the version you presented likely benefiting from book editing, but that's my own opinion.

---

When I mention other versions and opinions in the matter of what Herndon may have been told by Lincoln on said carriage ride I'm mainly referring to someone I don't like to use as a reference, Adin Baber, but he does make some interesting points on pgs11-15 of his book "Nancy Hanks of Undistinguished Families..."

Steve W.