Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[kerry]

My best guess would be Keckley did say something along those lines, and the ghostwriter dressed it up, as you are supposed to writing using details like color and texture to make the reader picture the scene. It's less natural to talk that way. I think the dialogue was likely made much punchier, but the substance was probably true. As I think is true of most books about Lincoln, even by people who were direct witnesses. I don't think exact accuracy of quotes was considered as necessary as now. My impression from the book and interviews is that Keckley saw that mental state as a temporary grief reaction, and did not consider her anywhere near insane during the Old Clothes scandal, just nervous, angry, impulsive, etc.