Nancy Hanks' lineage

[RJNorton]

I, too, think the story is suspect. The story of Lincoln writing the letter was in Josiah Gilbert Holland's "The Life of Lincoln" (1866) and asserted by the Elkins family. Louis A. Warren interviewed Elkins' descendants, and the claim was made to Warren that indeed Abraham wrote such a letter. One of the older descendants even claimed she had seen it.

It should also be noted, however, that in an interview with Herndon, Dennis Hanks said, "I do not think Elkins came at the solicitation & letter writing of Abe."

In the same interview Dennis Hanks told Herndon that "Abraham learned to write so that we could understand it in 1821." (Some sources say he could write earlier.)

One book I have says that Elkins could not read. If Dennis Hanks were correct regarding Abraham's writing, we would have someone who could not yet write composing a letter to someone who could not read. Unless there is more information that I am unaware of, I think the tradition of this letter is most likely false.

(Some books spell the last name as Elkin. Others spell it Elkins.)