Harold Holzer's collection on the (auction) block

[L Verge]

Teddy Roosevelt was only six when he and his brother, Elliot, watched Lincoln's funeral procession in New York from a window ledge. Edith Carow (later wife of Teddy) is the one who identified the two boys in that now-famous photo, and she claimed that she was also in the room. However, she said that she was three at the time and all the black drapings and crowds of people made her scared and she began to wail and was taken out of the room.

President and Mrs. Lincoln were friends with Roosevelt's father and had attended church with him. That alone would seem impressive to a young boy. To add an assassination and impressive funeral to his memories would certainly be a big stimulus to his worship of the martyred President.

As president, Theodore told friends that Lincoln was “my great hero” and that he meant “more to me than any other of our public men.” Noting a Lincoln portrait he had hung on his office wall in the White House, he said, “I look up to that picture, and I do as I believe Lincoln would have done.” Somewhere ages ago, I believe that I read that Theodore Roosevelt once gave a speech on Lincoln??

Found the speech: http://www.emersonkent.com/speeches/linc...ddress.htm