Nancy Hanks' lineage

[Steve Whitlock]

Roger,

Abraham Lincoln
and
Coles County, Illinois
by

Charles H. Coleman

"A neighbor, George B. Balch, of Lerna, Coles County, has recorded that:
Thomas Lincoln was a large, bulky man, six feet tall and weighing about two hundred pounds. He was large-boned, coarse-featured, had a large blunt nose, florid complexion, light sandy hair and whiskers. He was slow in speech and slow in gait. His whole appearance denoted a man of small intellect and less ambition. It is generally supposed that he was a farmer; and such he was, if one who tilled so little land by such primitive modes could be so called. He never planted more than a few acres, and instead of gathering and hauling his crop in a wagon he usually carried it in baskets or large trays. He was uneducated, illiterate, content with living from hand to mouth."
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As pointed out by others the man in the photo does not have a large blunt nose, nor does he have the whiskers attributed to him by George B. Balch, who seems to have a low regard for Thomas Lincoln. And yet, at a time when the grave of Thomas Lincoln was ignored, George B. Balch wrote a poem to bring attention to the neglect shown Thomas Lincoln, which resulted in a better monument that was chipped away and stolen by relic seekers, necessitating another monument with better security.

George B. Balch was a neighbor in Pleasant Grove, Coles, IL, and while the height he gives for Thomas isn't in accord to other descriptions, it isn't that far off. Clearly, the man in the photo does not match the description given by George B. Balch, and is not Thomas Lincoln.

If not Thomas Lincoln then who is he? He appears to be John "The Railsplitter" Hanks, before he grew that beard in later life. From the beginning I felt the man in the photos was likely in his 40's, and John Hanks was born in 1802; therefore, he was 48 in 1850.

I don't know how to attach a photo here, but one exists (I have an image) of John Hanks wearing what appears to be the same coat as the man in the "Thomas Lincoln" photo. Also, the nose of John Hanks is a match, a ridge on each side of his nose is a solid match, the manner and length maintained for his hair is likewise a match. The manner in which his mouth seems to droop down at the corners is also consistent with the photo, as is the solid neck and sturdy frame. In later years it appears that John Hanks put on a little more weight and is puffier in the face, yet the cheekbones seem the same. There is another photo of John Hanks in a dark suit that shows his gnarled hands. I can't see the hands clearly enough in the "Thomas Lincoln" photo to compare them, but perhaps someone else can.

Who, then, is of record as a seller of Abraham Lincoln relics, and maintained a residence in Charleston, Coles, IL? He also knew John Hanks and Thomas Lincoln intimately. That would be Dennis Friend Hanks. I believe he is highly probable as the "Lincoln relative" that allegedly sold a Thomas Lincoln photo to O.V. Flora.

But where did the discrepancy occur? Was it a John Hanks photo that was later glued to a mat with Thomas Lincoln's name and dates for birth and death? If so, by whom? In the sales of relics, including the "Lincoln rails" cut by Abraham Lincoln and John Hanks, there was always a note certifying the rails (even if bogus) and other artifacts. Did O. V. Flora have such a note for certification. If so what became of it?

I haven't forgotten that Thomas L. D. Johnston was a photographer, and maintained a studio in Charleston, Coles, IL in 1864; however, the Lincoln relative mentioned a need for money. According to "Abraham Lincoln and Coles County, Illinois" by Chapman:

2 Herndon-Weik photostats, Nos. 522-523. Thomas L. D. Johnston operated a photographic studio in Charleston in the Mount and Hill hall in 1864. Lerna Weekly Eagle, n.d. Article dated Charleston, July 12, 1929. In files of Lincoln National Life Foundation, Fort Wayne, Indiana. John J. Hall, uncle of Thomas Johnston, told Mrs. Gridley in 1891 that "Uncle Abe gave him a pass to go all over the army takin’ pictures. . . ." Gridley, pp. 22-23. Thomas Johnston was behind the lines in January 1864, at Vicksburg, Mississippi. John Berry, husband of Elizabeth Jane Hall, John’s younger sister, wrote from "Camp Clear Creek, Miss." on January 21, 1864, to Amanda Hall (also a sister of John J. Hall) , "I was at town the other day and I seen Thomas Johnston and he gave me his likeness and told me to send it to Jane. . . . Tom has a good time in vicksburge and he makes Plenty of money." Letter in Illinois State Historical Library. From Barrett Collection.
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It would seem that Thomas Johnston had "Plenty of money", and may have even still been in Vicksburg, MS or elsewhere taking Civil War photos during the period that O.V. Flora was in Charleston, IL.

In closing I conclude that the photo in question is not Thomas Lincoln, but was a photo of John Hanks at a time he was clean shaven in his 40's, which to me more closely resembles the age of the man in the photo, rather than someone who is 72 or 73.

To prove me wrong one need only find a proven photo of John Hanks in his 40's with a beard.

Also, I remain convinced that Dennis F. Hanks is most likely to have sold said photo to O.V. Flora, and it is still open to speculation as to who tampered with the photo to make it appear to be a photo of Thomas Lincoln.

I had hoped to get a nap and sleep on things before blurting this out; however, I haven't slept all night, and still can't quiet my mind enough to rest. If nothing else you now have my thoughts in regard to the "Thomas Lincoln photo". It isn't enough in my opinion to just say it isn't Thomas Lincoln without giving an alternative as to who the man in the photo is. Otherwise, the speculation continues and there are those who will still maintain it must be Thomas Lincoln.