Trivial Trivia - taking trivia to new levels

[Rogerm]

Was it a Vanderbilt?

[Gene C]

Good guess, but not him.

[Gene C]

Hint # 4

He attended West Point and graduated in the bottom half of his class. He served in the army for about 7 years.
He resigned from the army to marry his former commanding officer's daughter, against her father's wishes. This marriage lasted less than 90 days, his wife died.

When he remarries, almost 10 years later, it is to someone half his age, despite her parents initial concerns about his politics and age difference. The courtship lasted about three months.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Jefferson Davis?

[LincolnToddFan]

Yep...I think Eva got it! It's Jefferson Davis, and the doomed young bride who died on her honeymoon was named Knox Tyler, I think?

Anyway his second wife was of course Varina Howell of Natchez, Mississippi.

[Gene C]

Congratulations! It is indeed Jefferson Davis. The letters were written to his son-in-law, Joel Addison Hayes
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=21...22,3938930

The source of my information regarding the letters is "Judah Benjamin, The Jewish Confederate", by Eli Evans, p 128-129, and everyone's favorite, Wikipedia.

Your prize is a 25% off the admission price to Lincoln's New Salem (offer expires on October 12, 2014)
http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/

[Eva Elisabeth]

Regarding young Abraham Lincoln's faith, his stepsister Matilda remembered that “Among his numerous supplications, he prayed God to..."???

What did he pray for? This is "taking trivia to the top", so if you don't know, please don't hesitate to post the wildest guesses!

[RJNorton]

Wild guess. Perhaps he was praying to "make sure the family had enough food?"

[Rogerm]

Did he pray for his sister?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Very good and pious guesses, both, but try to guess something crazier!

Hint #1: The prayer was for some of his animal friends.

[Anita]

You are right Eva. This is weird! He prayed to put stockings on chickens' feet in winter. I found this in the book
"Abraham Lincoln: Was He a Christian?"
By John Eleazer Remsburg

[Gene C]

Interestng find Anita. Had to look the book you mentioned up on Amazon. It was written in 1893, Not to many reviews and they were mixed.
http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-wa...r+remsburg

According to Wikepedial, Mr. Remsburg, "he was an ardent religious skeptic in the late 19th and 20th centuries"

the book is avialabe free, on line, I may brouse through it, but I don't think I'll be reading this one.
https://archive.org/details/3830007

[Anita]

Interestng find Anita. Had to look the book you mentioned up on Amazon. It was written in 1893, Not to many reviews and they were mixed.
http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-wa...r+remsburg

According to Wikepedial, Mr. Remsburg, "he was an ardent religious skeptic in the late 19th and 20th centuries"

the book is avialabe free, on line, I may brouse through it, but I don't think I'll be reading this one.
https://archive.org/details/3830007

Thanks for the info on the author. I just searched for the quote. I'll check out the on-line book,

[Eva Elisabeth]

Brilliant, Anita!!! In 1888, John J. Hall, son of Matilda Johnston Moore, reported this to John E. Remsburg.

Weird, yes, but I remember how I worried as a child about the ducks' (& Co) cold feet on the frozen ponds in winter...

Anita, you win a supply of wool to knit some warm fashion for your animal friends. Well, where you live warm clothing might be unnecessary, so here's an alternative:
http://penguinfoundation.org.au/about-th...ilitation/

Thanks for the link, Gene! (I had this from M. Burlingame's "A Life".)

[Eva Elisabeth]

What is depicted here?
   
(I apologize in advance if I can't host this question as properly as usual due to current internet issues!)