Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

Michael, I think you may have confused Willie and Tad. As Eva's post indicates, the samples we have of Tad's handwriting were actually written by adults. The "evidence" of Tad's writing indicates at least two different handwritings. But I believe Willie did his own writing. All evidence I've read indicates that he was an excellent student. He was very different about his studies in comparison to Tad.

Ruth Painter Randall (in Lincoln's Sons) discusses how he (Willie) learned to write in Miss Corcoran's school in Springfield. In 1859 Willie went to Chicago with Abraham, and he wrote to his friend, Henry Remann, "This town is a very beautiful place. Me and father have a nice little room to ourselves. We have two little pitchers on a washstand. The smallest one for me the largest one for father. We have two little towels on a top of both pitchers. The smallest one for me, the largest one for father. Me and father had gone to two theaters the other night."

Randall indicates another Willie to Henry letter exists but "owing to its prolonged contact with a piece of candy, apparently chocolate, it is badly stained and the date is obliterated."

Anita, I believe the ALPLM has some samples of Willie's handwriting and even a school newspaper in which Tad was the editor when he was at the Brown School in Chicago in 1866. How much actual work Tad himself did on the newspaper is unknown. The name of the newspaper was the Brown School Holiday Budget. I do not know if these items are on public display.