Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[L Verge]

To me, the punishment was necessary and typical of the day. What I would argue about is Mr. Lincoln's use of a barrel stave to do the spanking. I'm of the old school that believes a well-placed palm of the hand on that "spankable sector" for a few whacks is acceptable, but a barrel stave seems completely uncalled for. If I had been Mary, I would have been angry too at the use of such an instrument.

As far as the other boys, I grew up in the age where the parents of my friends were welcome to verbally reprimand me (unlike today), and I suspect that was true with the Springfield neighbors. Again, however, I doubt that it was acceptable to administer corporal punishment to someone else's child - except maybe in school... If this story is true, it certainly shows that Mr. Lincoln had a temper!