Fanny McCoullogh letter

[RJNorton]

Heath, your comment got me to thinking regarding Mr. Ellsworth's letter to Lincoln. Mr. Ellsworth used the word "assuage" with regard to grief. Months ago we had a debate/discussion on whether Lincoln or Hay wrote the Bixby Letter. I think one argument that Hay wrote it was that Lincoln had never previously used the word "assuage" in any letter he wrote. I argued Lincoln, not Hay, wrote the letter. I am wondering if Lincoln was thinking of Mr. Ellsworth's use of the word when (if) he wrote the letter to Mrs. Bixby. A stretch, I suppose, but it came to mind.