Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

Hint #2: The man was born in Leasburg, North Carolina.

[Joe Di Cola]

(05-18-2013 08:00 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Hi Joe. In all honesty, I do not know. The person I had in mind is not Stephens, but I don't know if (or if not) Stephens was also boarding there. It's possible there are multiple answers to this question.

The added clue helped--Jacob Thomson--although I can find no source for his being at Spriggs Boarding House when Lincoln was in Congress--perhaps he lived there when he was in the Buchanan administration.

[RJNorton]

Indeed it is Jacob Thompson. Do you have Paul Findley's A. Lincoln: The Crucible of Congress? If so, please see p. 90 where it has a photo of Thompson and the caption, "Jacob Thompson, who boarded with Congressman Lincoln at Mrs. Sprigg's, was charged eighteen years later with complicity in President Lincoln's assassination." I am just assuming Paul Findley has this correct.

[Joe Di Cola]

(05-18-2013 02:16 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Indeed it is Jacob Thompson. Do you have Paul Findley's A. Lincoln: The Crucible of Congress? If so, please see p. 90 where it has a photo of Thompson and the caption, "Jacob Thompson, who boarded with Congressman Lincoln at Mrs. Sprigg's, was charged eighteen years later with complicity in President Lincoln's assassination." I am just assuming Paul Findley has this correct.

I would love to know Findley's source since I have only been able to find the names I sent to you. Indeed, Thompson served in the House from 1839-1851. He was in the House with AL, and could have boarded at Mrs. Spriggs. If true, it would be another one of the ironies of history that is fascinating.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Joe, what was the source of your list then?

[RJNorton]

I wonder if Paul Findley was confused. In Carl Sandburg's The Prairie Years (p. 356 of volume I) it says, "At the mess table in Mrs. Spriggs's boarding-house, where Lincoln took his meals, he ate with four Pennsylvania congressmen, Patrick Thompson of Mississippi, Elisha Embree of Indiana, Joshua Giddings, and others." (here)

So I am wondering if Findley confused Patrick Thompson with Jacob Thompson?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Or with Patrick W. Thompkins? I checked the footnotes of M. Burlingame's "A.L.-A life" online edition, where he allegedly lists all fellow borders, but neither Patrick nor Jacob Thompson is mentioned. Burlingame refers to the "Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 14" (1921), 85-86 as source.

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Patrick W. Thompkins was from Mississippi!

[Joe Di Cola]

Elisabeth and Roger,

You already have my citations! Sandburg, Burlingame (vol. 1, pp. 259-260) and, Elisabeth, you also had my original one from the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society! I believe that Findley picked the wrong Thompkins.

Good sleuthing by all of us! Now, check out some related Spriggs trivia I will now post.

Joe

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Before lodging at Mrs. Spriggs boarding house, where did the Lincolns live for a few days upon arriving in Washington City?

Also, since Mrs. Spriggs's establishment is no longer extant, what building now occupies the site? (I think this may have appeared before.)

[RJNorton]

Joe, I think it was (1) Brown's Indian Queen Hotel and (2) the Library of Congress.

More Mrs. Sprigg's trivia - before the Lincolns boarded there, a previous boarder wrote the following about her boardinghouse:

"I will now tell you how I am situated. Mrs. Spriggs is directly in front of the Capitol and about as far from it as from our home to Mrs. Holmes' or Mr. Spear's. The iron railing around the Capitol Park comes within fifty feet of our door. Our dining room overlooks the whole Capitol Park which is one mile around and filled with shade trees and shrubbery. I have a pleasant room on the second floor with a good bed, plenty of covering, a bureau, table, chairs, closets and clothes press, a good fire place, and plenty of dry wood to burn in it."

We have always upon the table Graham bread and corn bread. A pitcher of milk is always set by my plate and a deep soup plate for a bowl so that I can always have bread and milk, and with that alone I can always have a good diet, good enough. The milk by the way is very good. Mush we have always once and generally twice a day; apples always once a day; at dinner potatoes, turnips, parsnips, spinnage [sic] with eggs, almonds, raisins, figs and bread; the puddings, pies, cakes, etc., etc., I have of course nothing to do with. My anti-meat, butter, tea and coffee, etc. ism excites of course some attention but no sneers.

Who wrote this?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Two previous boarders were Edward D. Baker and John T. Stuart. I'd guess Steward since he was much closer to Lincoln.

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(Joe, please call me Eva!)

[RJNorton]

Good try, Eva, but it was neither of those men.

[Joe Di Cola]

(05-19-2013 04:04 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Two previous boarders were Edward D. Baker and John T. Stuart. I'd guess Steward since he was much closer to Lincoln.

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(Joe, please call me Eva!)

Eva,

I apologize for the name gaffe--I certainly should do better since my mother's name was also Eva.

Joe

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(05-19-2013 03:31 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Joe, I think it was (1) Brown's Indian Queen Hotel and (2) the Library of Congress.

More Mrs. Sprigg's trivia - before the Lincolns boarded there, a previous boarder wrote the following about her boardinghouse:

"I will now tell you how I am situated. Mrs. Spriggs is directly in front of the Capitol and about as far from it as from our home to Mrs. Holmes' or Mr. Spear's. The iron railing around the Capitol Park comes within fifty feet of our door. Our dining room overlooks the whole Capitol Park which is one mile around and filled with shade trees and shrubbery. I have a pleasant room on the second floor with a good bed, plenty of covering, a bureau, table, chairs, closets and clothes press, a good fire place, and plenty of dry wood to burn in it."

We have always upon the table Graham bread and corn bread. A pitcher of milk is always set by my plate and a deep soup plate for a bowl so that I can always have bread and milk, and with that alone I can always have a good diet, good enough. The milk by the way is very good. Mush we have always once and generally twice a day; apples always once a day; at dinner potatoes, turnips, parsnips, spinnage [sic] with eggs, almonds, raisins, figs and bread; the puddings, pies, cakes, etc., etc., I have of course nothing to do with. My anti-meat, butter, tea and coffee, etc. ism excites of course some attention but no sneers.

Who wrote this?

Roger,

You are right on both counts. I would have awarded you an all-expenses-paid weekend at Brown's, but it, too, is no more.

Joe

[Eva Elisabeth]

I have no other name in mind to guess, but re-reading the quote I would bet the writer was female (no meat etc. Could be a hint for so. else if correct.)

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Joe, no need to apologize! (It's not really wrong anyway, just my middle name.)

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: He referred to Mrs. Sprigg's place as the "Abolition House."

[L Verge]

Since he was mentioned in the previous list of boarders, I'll take a wild stab at Dr. Busey -- solely because of dietary beliefs.