New Light On Lincoln's Boyhood

[loetar44]

That Sophie Hanks Lynch Legrand stayed with the Lincolns from 1818 (when she was 9) until she married with Dillings Lynch on June 13, 1827, was confirmed and presented by Lincoln scholar and historian Paul H. Verduin of Silver Spring, MD, at a symposium at Shreveport in 1992 on Lincoln’s legacy. His findings were published Feb. 11, 1996, under a banner headline on the front page of the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. Has someone access to the State Journal-Register?

[RJNorton]

I could not find that article, but I did come across an article by Bob Sallee here. Scroll to the article titled Lincoln's legacy includes connection to The Natural State.

[loetar44]

If you are interested in the whole (original) article (Gene referred to), entitled “New Light on Lincoln’s Boyhood” by Arthur E. Morgan (photo attached) published in the February 1920 Issue of the Atlantic Monthly Magazine (pp. 208 – 217), I’ve put a pdf-scan here:

https://app.box.com/s/c47sr40rjrt50hkmi78n9mc9chtiua7v

   

   

[RJNorton]

Thank you, Kees. You noted the "1869" typo in another thread. This article has it right - "1860."

[Anita]

Thanks to everyone posting here. So much good info most of it new to me.

The excerpts below are from the article posted by Kees,
" LINCOLN'S COUSIN RECALLS STORIES OF EMANCIPATOR, BY MARTHA MURPHY."
"Abe and grandmother looked just alike. We laid their pictures side by
side once and grandmother was the spittin' image — even to the mole on his nose and the funny way his lower lip stuck out."

Le Grand himself looks just like Lincoln — minus the mole. He has the
same jutting chin, long nose and heavy eyebrows and long, rangy build~ The boys back in Jasper, Ark.— the ones that knew about us — used to tease me because they said I ever, walked like him," Le Grand said."

Where are the photos of Sophie and her offspring? It appears that many of Lincoln's physical traits including his walk were shared by his cousins. Sophie lived to a ripe old age of 84. I am curious to see if Sophie shared the same lumps on her lips that Lincoln had and which some believe could be a sign of a rare genetic disorder. Also would be interesting to see photos of current descendents of Sophie and her siblings.

I found this letter but no photos. Thanks.

February 29, 1932
"Lincoln Lore,"
Fort Wayne,
Indiana.

Dear Sirs:

I am writing to you at the
suggestion of Mr, F. B. Butler, As-
assistant Director of the Public
Buildings and Public Parks of
Washington, concerning mementos of
the Lincoln family which Mr. Morgan
has recently acquired.

Mr. Morgan has secured a
tintype of Sophia Hanks LeGrand, a
first cousin of Abraham Lincoln. Of
interest too, though perhaps of lesser
importance, are two pictures of James
LeGrand, the son of this woman, and
therefore second cousin of Abraham
Lincoln. A description of the re-
lationship of these people to Abraham
Lincoln may be found in Mr. Morgan 1 s
article, "New Light on Lincoln' s
Boyhood," in the February, 1920
number of the Atlantic Monthly.

If you should be interested
in any of these pictures, Mr. Morgan
would be glad to turn them over to you
for whatever price you see fit. The
financial returns will go to a surviving
member of the family who is in needy
circumstances .

Sincerely yours,

Herbert Gough,
Secretary to the President

[Eva Elisabeth]

There's a further letter on p.3 here:
https://archive.org/stream/hanksfamilylinc_9

Some more info on James Le Grand from Goodspead Brothers, Publishers - 1894:

"James Le Grand, MD.
...A prominent physician, who, by his own ability, has attained distinction in his profession, is Dr. James Le Grand, who was born in Dubois county, Ind., December 26, 1843, the elder of two children born to John and Sophia (Hanks) Le Grand, the former of whom was born in the Old North State, but who, at an early day, became a resident of Indiana, in which State he married and made his home until 1848. He was the father of eight children by his first wife, whom he lost in the State in which he married her, and he afterward married the widow of Dillon Lynch, who bore him six children. He then wedded Miss Hanks, and by her became the father of two children; James and his sister Rebecca, who is deceased, making in all sixteen children born to him. John Le Grand removed to Missouri during the boyhood of his on James and made his home in St. Francois and Bollinger Counties, dying in the latter, about 1872, having always been a prominent member of the Republican party. He held a number of official positions in Indiana as well as in Missouri, such as deputy sheriff, justice of the peace, etc., and was a man of much local prominence. His wife made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Nancy Davidson, in this county until her death, in November 1893, at the age of eighty-seven years. The early life of Dr. James Le Grand was spent in St. Francis County, and during his youth he was an attendant of the common schools. At the early age of seventeen years he left the home of his boyhood and enlisted in Company C, Thirty-third Missouri Volunteer Infantry., under Col. Fisk, but at the end of six months was honorably discharged from the service, after which he removed to Indiana, where he remained until the war closed. He then returned to St. Francois County and started out in life as a school teacher, an occupation which took up his time and attention for five years, during which time he became well known as an able, efficient and painstaking educator. He then began the study of medicine and entered upon the practice of that profession in Bollinger County, Mo., where he continued to make his home until his removal to Newton County, Ark., in 1876. He has resided in the town of Jasper ever since, and has built up a large and lucrative practice, the result of conscientious and painstaking work. The Doctor has, always been a Republican and has taken an active part in the political affairs of his section, although he has never been an aspirant for office. He was married in St. Francois County, Mo., to Miss Charity M. Reed, who died after giving birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, who is also deceased. In 1869 the Doctor married Miss Julia Hudson, a daughter of Joel Hudson, who came from Ohio to this State in 1873, and died here in 1875, his widow being still a resident of the county. They were the parents of four children: Julia; Mary, wife. of P. E. Goodall; John, and Anna, wife of Jesse Hickman. Mrs. Le Grand was born in Tennessee, April 15, 1861, and has borne the Doctor four children, only one of whom survives, Charles, who is in his twelfth year. Those deceased are Cora, Nora and James R. Cora lived to be about fifteen years old but the others died young. The Doctor and his wife are members of the Christian Church, in which he is a deacon, and socially he is a member of Limestone Valley Lodge NO. 104, of the A. F. & A. M. The Doctor does not depend wholly upon his practice for his living, but is also engaged in the sale of drugs at Jasper, which brings him in a neat little income annually. Dr. Le Grand's paternal ancestors were of French extraction, his grandfather, William Le Grand was a soldier of the Revolution, he was a prominent man in the early history of this country, and won a wide reputation as an able educator. The mother of Dr. Le Grand, Sophia Hanks, was a daughter of Sarah Hanks, a sister of the mother of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Hanks."

[RJNorton]

(05-30-2015 07:31 PM)Anita Wrote:  Where are the photos of Sophie and her offspring? It appears that many of Lincoln's physical traits including his walk were shared by his cousins. Sophie lived to a ripe old age of 84. I am curious to see if Sophie shared the same lumps on her lips that Lincoln had and which some believe could be a sign of a rare genetic disorder. Also would be interesting to see photos of current descendents of Sophie and her siblings.

That is a very interesting question, Anita. I, too, would love to know if these photos exist. I scanned this image from Dr. John Sotos' The Physical Lincoln. In the book Dr. Sotos argues that Lincoln suffered (and was dying) from a rare genetic cancer syndrome called MEN2B (multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2B).

Dr. Sotos writes, "The lips, of all places, lead the way, and are often a striking feature of the patient's appearance. Virtually 100% of the people with MEN2B have enlarged, lumpy lips."

As far as I know there is little support in the medical community for either Dr. Sotos' theory or for Lincoln having Marfan syndrome. Still, I am curious if any Sophie Hanks' photos exist.

[loetar44]

(05-30-2015 07:31 PM)Anita Wrote:  "Abe and grandmother looked just alike. We laid their pictures side by
side once and grandmother was the spittin' image — even to the mole on his nose and the funny way his lower lip stuck out."

Le Grand himself looks just like Lincoln — minus the mole. He has the
same jutting chin, long nose and heavy eyebrows and long, rangy build~ The boys back in Jasper, Ark.— the ones that knew about us — used to tease me because they said I ever, walked like him," Le Grand said."

Speaking about a "spittin' image" of Abraham Lincoln... Who was the then 43 years old tall man, calling himself the “Second Abraham Lincoln”, and yes, indeed a spitting image of him, born on the Thomas Lincoln farm in Coles County, Ill. who announced himself a candidate for the U.S. presidency? In what year and what was his relationship with Lincoln?

[RJNorton]

(06-02-2015 08:02 AM)loetar44 Wrote:  Speaking about a "spittin' image" of Abraham Lincoln... Who was the then 43 years old tall man, calling himself the “Second Abraham Lincoln”, and yes, indeed a spitting image of him, born on the Thomas Lincoln farm in Coles County, Ill. who announced himself a candidate for the U.S. presidency? In what year and what was his relationship with Lincoln?

1. Clarence Hall.

2. 1935?

3. Abraham Lincoln's great-grandnephew and Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln's great-great-grandson.

[loetar44]

GREAT ! Roger you are “World’s Most Amazing Lincoln Historian” and earn a photo of Clarence Thomas Hall. Please accept this with my compliments and all good wishes. Hall (Jul. 10, 1892 - Dec. 30, 1967) announced Aug. 29, 1935.

   

[RJNorton]

Not even remotely close, Kees, but thank you anyway. I came across this article, and because "1935" was in handwriting I wasn't absolutely certain of the year. I tried to find a picture of him but failed. Thank you very much for posting the photo! Amazing!

[Joe Di Cola]

I was delighted that Gene came across information on Sophie Hanks. It has been a while since Lincoln's pre-presidentual years have had such a large discussion. That is understandable since this year has focused on the assassination and funeral with all of their attendant commemorations. Nevertheless, the materials about Sophie Hanks does, in fact, add to the information on Lincoln's earlier life and we all owe a lot to Gene for his initial and subsequent posts on this thread. I had noticed her presence in the Hanks geneology listed as an appendix to "Lincoln's Informants", but never gave her much thought. I guess few of us were alone in that regard.

I have followed, with much interest, the postings about her on the symposium. However, I am still vexed with the notion that much of the "hoopla" about Sophie is "sound and fury, signifying nothing." She may have spent time living in the Lincoln Indiana home, but she did not emigrate from Indiana into Illinois along with the Lincolns and the Hanks family members and spouses who accompanied them. She drops out of sight as far as Lincoln's story is concerned. She, therefore, had less "history" with Lincoln than did Dennis and John Hanks, for example. Sophie just doesn't seem to loom large in the Lincoln story compared to others who shared the Indiana and later experiences with Lincoln.

It would be great to find an extant photo of her since one purports to exist to see if there is a family resemblance to Lincoln. I am afraid we might end up with the ersatz comparisons that people tried to make between the photo of the older Mary Ann Rutledge and whether this is how Ann might have looked in later life--had she lived that long.

I still feel that one of the most fruitful paths in Lincoln's history is to gauge the effect on the shaping of him that came from those who befriended Lincoln during the New Salem years. He already had ambition and a remarkable inquiring mind, but these factors really coalesced under the friendship and guidance of Jack Kelso, Mentor Graham, Bowling and Nancy Green, and others at New Salem and from his associations with men like David Davis on the 8th Judicial Circuit.

[RJNorton]

(06-03-2015 11:08 AM)Joe Di Cola Wrote:  It would be great to find an extant photo of her since one purports to exist to see if there is a family resemblance to Lincoln.

Anita is recovering from shoulder surgery and typing is difficult, and she asked me to post some information she has discovered. She found that there are photos of Sophie Hanks and James Le Grand in a box in the LOC which are not digitized. They are in the Arthur E. Morgan Collection.

Does anyone know if it's possible to ask the LOC to digitize these photos?

I send a great big THANK YOU to Anita for finding this information and also best wishes for a successful recovery from your rotator cuff surgery!!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks Anita for finding out these photos still exist (I guess these are the ones mentioned in the letter you posted)! It would be cool if there was a way to "get" them...
Anita, I wholeheartedly second Roger's best wishes!!!

[loetar44]

I found:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010647737/

and

http://www.loc.gov/contact/

And I found:


http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/morganae.htm

and

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/contact

ANITA: wish you all the best and a speedy recovery!