Lincoln Cottage April 9 Event with Don Doyle and Sidney Blumenthal

[LincolnToddFan]

Hi Prof. I'd be there with bells on if possible, but I am in California. Dare I hope that it will be televised, perhaps on C-span?

The Lincolns spent their first summer at the Old Soldier's Home in 1862. They went there because as Mary put it "peace and quiet are necessary when we are in grief" (MTL Letters, Turner&Leavitt). Willie had died in February and both his parents were recovering from emotional breakdowns in the tragic wake, in Mary's case a severe one. The WH was too noisy and crowded, and the capital in summer did not sound like a nice place to be even under normal circumstances. It was dubbed the "city of stink".

So the Home was not only a vacation getaway but a place to mourn and heal, which makes it all the more poignant.

Eva, I agree about Matthew Pinsker's book. I really enjoyed it!