Wilma Frances Minor letters

[kerry]

Interesting - "In spite of this foolishness, Barton was no fool where Lincoln documents were concerned." LOL.

Those documents were clearly to good to be true. I can't really blame people who weren't super familiar with the Lincoln field for falling for it, but Tarbell should have known better, and Sandburg.

"and preciously and wonderfully co-ordinate and chime with all else known of Lincoln.” Yeah, that's kind of the problem. I realize Sandburg was attracted to the better story, but it answered all too well the controversies arising after Lincoln's death. I have the same issue with the Cogdal reminiscence - his alleged question and Lincoln's alleged answer perfectly plug in all the missing pieces of Herndon's story, as if retroactively framed by Herndon's assertions. It's unlikely to work that way.

I love how the historians who knew they were false were all over it:

"“It’s the biggest thing that ever happened to me,” he exulted in a letter to his parents. “One doesn’t get a chance very often to put the magazine of the country in the frying pan and cook it brown.”" That's the attitude historians should have!

I give Minor's mother credit for her cleverness and effort -- I'm surprised more people didn't try it.

Ridiculous how wimpy the Atlantic was about admitting its error. Sedgwick's biography contains bizarre accusations about Abraham and Mary Lincoln that are quite specific. I've always wondered if there was truth to them or if he was angry over this affair and decided to forge the record a bit himself.