Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[LincolnToddFan]

(05-23-2014 04:03 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(05-22-2014 08:12 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  In fact there is a letter in existence where he expresses interest in Owens even during the time Rutledge was still alive,

Hi Toia. This was new to me; I don't ever recall seeing such a letter written by Lincoln while Ann was still living. Can you talk more about this? Many thanks. Are you referring to a Lincoln letter written in 1833, 1834, or 1835 (prior to August 25th)? Maybe I am misunderstanding what you said - if so, please excuse.

Hey Roger!

It was written sometime in 1832-1833 to Mary Owen's sister, something to the effect that he wouldn't mind seeing her again. He already knew Ann R. in 1832 didn't he? Seems like ol' Abe fell in love pretty easily! I will dig through my zillion or so Lincoln books over the weekend and try to find the excerpt-

Eva Elizabeth,

I really can't add much to your beautiful post, you took the words out of my mouth. The inscription inside MTL's wedding band pretty much says it all as far as I am concerned. Even if the anecdote about AL telling the Christian Monitor journalist about his enduring love for his wife is apocryphal, you can't argue that what he inscribed in her ring isn't compelling evidence. He could have simply given her a wedding band with nothing in it, couldn't he have?

There is also a little known story about a necklace with a heart made of diamonds that AL gave Mary in April 1862 to cheer her up after Willie's death. According to Lincoln family tradition, he presented it to her with the words "You have my heart". It was commissioned by Tiffany of NYC and cost $500, a king's ransom in those days.

I think it's in the Lincoln Library now. I first saw it on Youtube, but you can also Google info about it. This is not the gift of a man who didn't love his wife deeply, or who considered her some type of booby prize.

BTW...Yoko's description of her relationship with John Lennon is strikingly similar to what Mary Todd Lincoln wrote about AL a few weeks after his murder...."....he was always everything to me...husband, lover, father...my all. Truly my all".

(Excerpt from the anthology of MTL's letters published by Linda Leavitt-Turner)