Mary Lincoln Extra Credit Questions

[L Verge]

(05-29-2016 01:26 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  In 1864 Mary Lincoln visited a soldier who was in the hospital. She visited him twice, and brought him flowers the first time and wrote to his mother the second time (while she was sitting next to him). She did not tell the soldier who she was, and he only found out after he recovered and was back home and saw the letter his mother had received.

What was the name of this soldier?

I don't know the soldier's exact name, but the Turners wrote that the letter was addressed to a "Mrs. Agen."

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Interesting site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperien...nscript/4/

The Lincolns began visiting army hospitals together. They brought bunches of flowers and delicacies from the White House kitchen. And they tried not to show their emotions at the terrible sights they saw all around them.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Historian: Mary would sit with the soldiers; she would talk to them and give them great comfort and take great comfort herself from being with others who were experiencing the pain of the war.

Linda Levitt Turner, Biographer: She was able to stand up against the worst conditions, the smells, the sounds, the groans, and get through it somehow, when, if a door slammed or if a book fell at home, she would jump five feet.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Historian: It took a certain strength to be willing to put herself through that. It must have reminded her of those last moments with Willy.

Narrator: When the President had other duties, Mary often made her visits alone. She read aloud to the men, served as a waitress, donated $300 worth of lemons and oranges to combat scurvy. Sometimes wounded soldiers asked her to write letters home.

Voice of Mary Lincoln, (Holly Hunter): "I am sitting by the side of your soldier boy. He has been quite sick, but is getting well. He tells me to say that he is all right. With respect for the mother of the young soldier, Mrs. A. Lincoln"

Narrator: Grateful patients named a hospital for her, but Mary kept her visits to the wounded out of the press.