Extra Credit Questions

[Wild Bill]

Martin van Buren

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Bill! Yes, Martin Van Buren visited Springfield in 1842. He stayed at the American House. Lincoln was on the welcoming committee when the former President made his visit.

I do not think it is known for certain where the cotillion was where Lincoln first met and danced with Mary Todd in 1839, but the American House is a possibility. Maybe someone on the forum knows.

[Steve]

Here's a link to the text of the order of observance issued after Van Buren's death in 1862:

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lin...w=fulltext

[mbgross]

Among the visitors to Springfield in 1842 was this man. Abraham Lincoln met him during his visit. Who was he?

john quincy adams

[RJNorton]

I am sorry, Mike, but it was Martin Van Buren. Bill got it here.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Princess Salm-Salm, who inspired President Lincoln's famous quip that General Sickles was more than a psalmist, he was a "Salm-Salmist," and Anna Surratt did the same thing in the same place, though not at the same time. What did they do?

[RJNorton]

Susan, I am not sure that I understand the question, so please forgive if this guess is way off the mark:

Did Anna Surratt kiss Louis Weichmann three times?

[L Verge]

Like Roger, the kisses are the only link I can think of between the Princess and Anna Surratt. However, the Princess is an interesting figure in her own right. Would you consider doing an article on her for a future Surratt Courier? It helps that she was also born in Baltimore.

[Gene C]

Well Louis blew it on that potential romance.

[Dennis Urban]

Could it have something to do with conducting/attending a seance?

[Susan Higginbotham]

No seances that I know, but a nice try. But what Princess Salm-Salm and Anna Surratt each did at the same place usually does involve a kiss.

[Dennis Urban]

Could they have each married at the same church, maybe in Baltimore?

[Susan Higginbotham]

Could they have each married at the same church, maybe in Baltimore?

You're mostly right! They each married at St. Patrick's Church in Washington, D.C. Father Jacob Walter performed the ceremonies, the first (Agnes Joy to Prince Salm-Salm) on August 30, 1862, the second (Anna Surratt to William Tonry) on June 17, 1869. Both ceremonies were private.

Princess Salm-Salm's memoir can be found here.

https://archive.org/stream/tenyearsofmyl...8/mode/2up

Laurie, I would love to write about her once I finish my current project (in which the princess makes a brief appearance).

[JMadonna]

Does anyone know who our first blonde president was?

[Gene C]

Hillary?