"Phantoms" at Lincoln's deathbed

[Linda Anderson]

(09-02-2014 10:23 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:32 AM)loetar44 Wrote:  (1) James Wormley (owner and operater of the Wormley Hotel in D.C.) was widely reported in 1865 to be at the bedside of Abraham Lincoln when he died. His presence at Lincoln's deathbed was cited in numerous obituaries and articles , however, I did not find any corroborating documentation of this presence.

(2) "Tributes to Abraham Lincoln", a compilation of newspaper articles, says: Gen. O'Beirne is the only man living who was present at the death of Lincoln. He waa sent to the house as provost-marshal by Secretary of War Stanton. Also here I did not find any corroborating documentation.

(3) Salmon P. Chase is pictured on a lot of deathbed scenes as witness but I doubt he was ever there at all. I thought he was only included so that beside family all branches (executive, legislative and judicial) might be represented.

Kees, do you have W. Emerson Reck's book? IMO it is one of the best sources for trying to determine who was/was not there.

Regarding Chase, he wrote in his diary that he was not present. Wormley is not mentioned at all in Reck's book, but I have seen the claim he was there. Linda once posted an article on this. O'Beirne is mentioned as having been there earlier but (unless I am missing it) not at the time of death.

Here's my post.

E: Mary Lincoln's presence at Abraham's death-bed
James Wormley, "the celebrated hotel proprietor," was reported as being present at Lincoln's deathbed. Critic-Record, "James Wormley's Death," October 20, 1884

"Mr. Wormley was present at the death bed of Lincoln, and he appears as the only colored man in Littlefield's picture of the death of the President. He was also present at the deathbed of Sumner."

Wormley started his career as a hack driver, worked his way to owning his own livery service and went on to become the steward of the Washington Club in the same house where Seward was later attacked. He opened Wormley's Hotel in 1871.

"Mr. Wormley's patrons numbered among them some of the most gentlemen and ladies of this and other countries. He was a master of diplomacy as well as the art of cuisine. New York Globe October 25, 1884.

"It has been learned since his death that for a number of years he has been supporting three white families, the heads of which were once counted as the most wealthy and aristocratic of the Virginians." Boston Journal. October 21, 1884,

It would be great if he had kept a diary but somehow I don't think he did.

---

James Wormley is included in African-American Business Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary. There is a list of secondary sources about Wormley on p. 711. The article mentions that he was an honorary pallbearer at Lincoln's funeral.

http://books.google.com/books?id=TTha3Na...22&f=false