Mary's Reputation

[Donna McCreary]

(07-16-2012 10:58 AM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I think you summed that up very well, Laurie, but one thing I can't excuse is the story she once hit Lincoln in the face with a piece of firewood when he was having trouble starting a fire. Her Springfield behavior was so over the top, I really believe some kind of imbalance was going on with Mary before the stresses of the war.

According to new research, this particular story was told by a woman who worked for the Lincoln family. However, there is no historical evidence that the woman ever worked for them or even really knew them. For more information, read Richard Lawerence Miller's chapter in The Mary Lincoln Enigma.