Lincoln's Birth

[Steve Whitlock]

(12-16-2018 12:56 PM)Steve Whitlock Wrote:  

(07-11-2018 07:27 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Sandburg probably used the Richard Creal version as recorded by William E. Barton. In 1906 Barton interviewed Judge Richard W. Creal who had been present at the 1864 picnic where Peggy Walters told her story of the birth. (The picnic was on the Creal family property.) Creal was 11 years old at the time of the picnic. Barton took notes of his interview with Judge Creal, and Peggy Walters' words are from the notes Barton took during the interview. Creal said Peggy had a broken hip and was on crutches at the time of the picnic. She died later that same year. Barton stated, "It constitutes the only reliable narrative we have of the birth of Abraham Lincoln."

Despite what Barton said, I feel it should be kept in mind that Peggy Walters gave her version 55 years after Lincoln's birth, and Creal told Barton what she said 42 years after that.

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Roger,

What can be taken from the Peggy Walters/Richard W. Creal account is corroboration. Dennis Friend Hanks gave an account of going to see Abraham Lincoln shortly after his birth, and mentions that his aunt, Polly Friend, (Mary "Polly" (Hanks) Friend) was there. While not mentioned by Dennis, the presence of Elizabeth (Hanks) Sparrow, Polly's sister, and both aunts of Nancy Hanks Lincoln as mentioned by the Peggy Walters account, gives more proof as to the maternal line of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, as borne out by the Nancy Hanks Lincoln mtdna study results.

I have also wondered about the accuracy of an 11 year old boy's memory, (Richard W. Creal) but he does provide some valuable insight. Bear in mind that there was still considerable controversy as to the maternal line of Nancy Hanks Lincoln at the time Mr Creal gave his statement.

There is more corroboration to be had. I offer some of my notes in the attached working file. To verify the 1804 marriage of Margaret "Peggy" Larue and Conrad Walters I have the marriage bond and marriage register for the 11 Sep 1804 marriage mentioned in the working file.

There are several testimonials for the mental state of Peggy Walters and note Peggy said she was 20 when Abraham Lincoln was born, which is in line with her 1789 birth (but she was really 19, going on 20), and that she married young. She would have been 14 when she married Conrad Walters Jr.

There seems to be some confusion as to exactly who went to get Peggy Walters, Thomas Lincoln or Abraham Enlow, according to the 30 Jun 1906 testimony of John C. Friend.

The upshot of all this is that it isn't just the testimony of Judge Richard Creal and Peggy Walters as to who was present at the birth of Abraham Lincoln. There is an impress of truth to Peggy's narrative, which William E. Barton recognized when he said ""It constitutes the only reliable narrative we have of the birth of Abraham Lincoln."