"Herndon was born mediocre"

[Tom Emery]

In response to Rob and Mike B., I am not saying that Herndon "made up" the romance. That's not what I'm saying.

I just have never been comfortable with the evidence presented, from Herndon and others. In my view, there have been too many questions and too much sketchy detail -- the 1862 Menard Axis reference notwithstanding. Even some of the recent studies, such as the late 1990s ones of Wilson and Simon (I believe; again, off memory) left me with the same questions, if not more so. Those two men are renowned scholars, so I write my comment with some hesitation. But, if memory serves me, one of those studies made no mention of Mary Owens, whose relationship with Lincoln was documented. It's kind of hard to believe that Lincoln was so distraught over Ann's death, yet was involved with someone else just months later.

Also, we're told that Lincoln was so distraught over Ann's death that he threw himself on her grave, sobbing. But at the time of her death, Ann's family lived six miles out of New Salem, at Sand Ridge. Six miles on horseback or foot certainly isn't insurmountable. But it does add another dimension to the story, since it would have been some ride or walk in that era.

But, that really is not the source of my contention. What I disagree with far more is the implication that Ann and Abraham had this tremendous romance, so great that he could not have possibly loved Mary and that Ann's loss drove him for the rest of his life.

Is a relationship between Ann and Abraham plausible? Yes. But I simply can't see this otherworldly romance that the legend implies.

I am not pointing fingers at anyone on this panel when I make this statement, because everyone here has even-handed thoughts and declarations, and I like that. But I think that people over the decades have needed to put a Lincoln-Rutledge romance into a little perspective. The Wilma Minor scandal of the late 1920s was an extreme case, but I think too many people have blown the possible Lincoln-Rutledge romance far out of proportion.