Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[L Verge]

Just a sidebar: In the same article about RTL and the Pullman strike, I found this brief mention by a friend of his about his guilt in not being at Ford's Theatre. There's one line in there about where Robert would have been seated that is very telling about that guilt

"His close friend in later years, Nicholas Murray Butler, recounted in his memoir that the president’s son never forgave himself for his absence [from Ford’s Theater]. As the youngest member of the presidential party, Robert would have sat at the back of the box, closest to the door. He reportedly told Butler that, had he been present, Booth would have had to deal with him before he could have shot the president."

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About 5-6 years ago, we had Charles Lachman speak at the Surratt conference on his book The Last Lincolns: The Rise & Fall.... I thoroughly enjoyed the book and then the speech. I remember that Robert's last child, Jessie, was somewhat of a bane to his existence. I suspect that she was either not invited to the funeral or refused to come. I can't speculate on his first-born, Mary/Mamie because I think she was fairly close to her father in later years. All three of the children seemed to have lived rather spoiled lives, however.

The last of the line, Robert Lincoln Beckwith, died about thirty years ago in a Virginia nursing home outside of D.C. Some of you have heard my story about being invited to speak on the Surratts and the Lincoln assassination at that residence while Mr. Beckwith was still alive. At that time, I was going through a divorce, working, and raising my young daughter, so I sent my sidekick, Joan Chaconas, instead. The gentleman evidently did not want to hear yet another version of the assassination story because he didn't show up for the program!

Here's an easy link to further info on the descendants: http://www.myjournalcourier.com/features...m-lincolns