Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[David Lockmiller]

Herndon's work [] has been savagely and unfairly criticized here (among other places).

I very much agree with this statement.

It seems to me that Lincoln had a way of compartmentalizing his world. There was the Herndon portion of his world consisting of the law practice and politics. And, then there was the portion of his world occupied by Mary Todd Lincoln and the children.

Lincoln stopped by the Lincoln and Herndon law office before leaving for Washington DC. Professor Burlingame wrote of this event (Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Vol One, page 757:

After reminiscing about various cases, Lincoln pointed to the firm's signboard outside the office and said, "Let it hang there undisturbed. Give our clients to understand that the election of a President makes no change in the firm of Lincon and Herndon. If I live I'm coming back some time, and then we'll go right on practicing law as if nothing had ever happened. . . .

As a parting gift, Lincoln offered Herndon his books. Overhearing him, Mary Lincoln sharply asked: "Abraham, are you going to give away everything we have got?" He replied: "Mary, if you will attend to your business, I will attend to mine."

Earlier, Lincoln and Herndon had the following exchange:

Lincoln: "Billy, how long have we been together?"
Herndon: "Over sixteen years."
Lincoln: "We've never had a cross word during all that time, have we?"
Herndon: "No, indeed we have not."

In early April, 1865, "when John Todd Stuart had asked him if he intended to return to the Illinois capital after his presidency, Lincoln replied: 'Mary does not expect ever to go back there, and don't want to go--but I do--I expect to go back and make my home in Springfield for the rest of my life.'" (Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Vol Two, page 800.)