Mary Lincoln's presence at Abraham's death-bed

[Dixon-Welling]

[quote='RJNorton' pid='20845' dateline='1372324345']
Mary's last visit to her husband's bedside was apparently about 20 minutes before he passed. Mary's friend, Elizabeth Lord Cogswell Dixon, wife of Senator James Dixon, was with her. On May 1 Mrs. Dixon described the scene in a letter to her sister:

"At that hour, just as the day was struggling with the dim candles in the room, we went in again. Mrs. Lincoln must have noticed a change for the moment she looked at him, she fainted and fell upon the floor. I caught her in my arms and held her to the window which was open, the rain falling heavily.

"She again seated herself by the President, kissing him and calling him every endearing name, the surgeons counting every pulsation and noting every breath gradually growing less and less. Then they asked her to go into the adjoining room, and in twenty minutes came in and said, 'It is all over! The President is no more!'"


Dr. Leale described the final visit this way:

"During the night Mrs. Lincoln came frequently from the adjoining room accompanied by a lady friend. At one time Mrs. Lincoln exclaimed, sobbing bitterly: "Oh! that my little Taddy might see his father before he died!" This was decided not advisable. As Mrs. Lincoln sat on a chair by the side of the bed with her face to her husband's his breathing became very stertorous and the loud, unnatural noise frightened her in her exhausted, agonized condition. She sprang up suddenly with a piercing cry and fell fainting to the floor. Secretary Stanton hearing her cry came in from the adjoining room and with raised arms called out loudly: "Take that woman out and do not let her in again." Mrs. Lincoln was helped up kindly and assisted in a fainting condition from the room. Secretary Stanton's order was obeyed and Mrs. Lincoln did not see her husband again before he died."

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When I visited Petersen House in 2005, what struck me was that the front parlor, and where Mary was when not with her husband, was in "ear-shot" of Secretary Stanton taking testimonies by those who witnessed the murder. With no partition, the witness’s recollections were heard over and over again by Mary Lincoln.