Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[David Lockmiller]

Henry Whitney changed his mind a lot apparently. As I mentioned a few posts up he also went on record to rhapsodize about Lincoln's "thorough" love for his wife, and how he was in a position to know because of his "intimacy" with AL while on the circuit:

"....the world does not know...how much it is indebted to her for words of cheer-of hope-of comfort and solace, when all seemed dark. Lincoln thoroughly loved his wife. I had many reasons to know this in my intimacy with him, and she therefore wrought a great influence over him". (Henry Whitney, Life on the Circuit with Lincoln pgs#110-11)

Something tells me that little blurb never made it into Burlingame's "Life"...it doesn't fit the narrative on AL's marriage that he seems determined to stick to. But there you go.

Did Henry Whitney happen to ever mention what-if anything-AL ever confided about Ann Rutledge? Anything at all?

As I recall, Ann Rutledge died before Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer and before he would have met Henry Whitney. According to the evidence that I have reviewed, Abraham Lincoln never brought up the subject of Ann Rutledge with his best friend in Springfield, Joshua Speed, or his law partner of 16 years, William Herndon.

Therefore, I would conclude that it is not surprising that Henry Whitney was not told "anything at all" about Ann Rutledge by Abraham Lincoln.