Mary Lincoln's presence at Abraham's death-bed

[Ashley Norman]

(06-26-2013 08:54 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  I counseled a recently widowed female patient today. She told me how important it was to her that she spend the last few hours with her husband as he was dying. It later struck me that Mary Lincoln was deprived of this. I know there were other considerations to factor in pertaining to Lincoln's death-but Mary was, in the end, not allowed to be with her husband at his end. Was this an injustice to her? Was it unusual for the wife of a dying husband to not be with him the entire time? Was Stanton being inconsiderate of her? Why wouldn't it be allowed for her to show strong emotion at that time?

Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Mary is panic and inconsoleable while by his death bed. So much so that they had her stay in the living room area of the gentlemans house they were at? WhenI went to the house where he died some time ago I think I remember at point she would let out screams and loud sobs? I know she sent for Tad believing that Abraham would respond to him. I agree that it is important to be there in the dying hours of your spouse but panic I don't think helps the situation when dealing with a shotting victum. I could be wrong about that though,.