Did Vinnie Ream visit the White House daily for 5 months?

[RJNorton]

Thanks, everyone.

(02-04-2017 12:49 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Has anyone checked Carpenter's writings?

I checked his book - no mention of Vinnie Ream at the White House.

In the book Vinnie Ream - The Story of the Girl Who Sculptured Lincoln, the author (Gordon Langley Hall) also claims that Vinnie was at the White House on April 14, 1865, for her normal half hour session. I have read many accounts of Lincoln's last day - I have never seen Vinnie Ream mentioned.

No mention of her, even once, in Lincoln biographies such as Sandburg or Donald or Thomas.

I remain somewhat skeptical she met Abraham Lincoln and came to see him in the White House.

In her diary Vinnie writes, "His favorite son, Willie, had just died and this had been the greatest personal loss in his life. I made him think of Willie and he often said so and as often wept." She goes on to write that Lincoln "was at the window watching for Willie, for he had always watched the boy playing every afternoon at that window. Sometimes great tears rolled down his cheeks."

This is just my opinion, but this just doesn't sound right to my brain. Willie had not just died - it was 2 1/2 years previous.