The death of Tad Lincoln

[Jim Garrett]

I think each death became progressively harder, taking a greater and greater emotional toll on MTL. As morbid as this may sound, I wonder if losing a child (during the 1800's) was almost expected. The incidents of childhood mortality was so high and touched almost every family. So while the loss of Eddie was devastating, she was not alone in her grief. Even though she handled her grief very individually, she knew others were experiencing the loss

When she lost Willie, she at least had her husband for support. He probably forced her out of her depression, and as a wife, mother and first lady, she had plenty to keep her mentally busy.

When AL died, she lost her rock and the only person who seemed to really understand her. She also lost her identity as a wife and first lady, but when Tad died, she also lost her identity as a mother. Not that she wasn't still a mother to Robert, but Robert was a grown man and clearly independent.