Spiritualism in the White House and the 19th Century

[BettyO]

Along with the popularity of the Fox Sisters in the 1840s, spiritualism was big business in the mid 19th Century.

So many deaths in the war years also contributed to the popularity of "piercing the veil" with many seances being performed. One Mr.Mumler got into the act with "spirit photography" at about this time - obviously fake photography, until he was exposed. Mary had a photograph taken after Abraham's death with his ghost supposedly standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

Mr. Lincoln attended at least one seance at the White House at Mary's insistance after Willie's death in 1862.

How do you think Lincoln felt about spiritualism? His life was one of tragedies - and the war bore heavily upon his shoulders. He even had prophetic dreams about his own death - even once seeing a ghostly "double" of himself in a looking glass.

[RJNorton]

I agree with what Gene said in another thread. I think Abraham was worried that the spiritualists were faking it, and Mary was being duped. In fact Lincoln was so concerned that he asked the superintendent of the Smithsonian Institution to "look into" one of the spiritualists. Lincoln also asked Noah Brooks to look into this person (Colchester). Brooks caught Colchester manipulating mechanical devices during a séance (not a White House one) in order to create sounds coming from spirits of the deceased.

Colchester got the boot.

[Laurie Verge]

The Spiritualism movement during this period is really quite interesting to study. One of my staff members actually gives talks on the movement. Her first presentation was here at the museum, and we actually got a letter of complaint BEFORE the event from a minister of a local church protesting us even talking about it. The talk is historically oriented, certainly not proselytizing (bet I misspelled that one!). We were actually prepared to have protestors the afternoon of the talk, but they never materialized, so I guess my explanation satisfied the minister.

Again, it is another good reason for knowing the society and culture of any given era. With the death and dying issues of earlier centuries and the influence of folklore, etc., it is easy for most of us to understand how spiritualists could gain influence.

[Gene C]

Most of this info comes from the book "the Lincoln's - Portrait of a Marriage" by Daniel Mark Epstein. I know a few of you don't care for this book, but it had a fair amount of info on this subject

"the secretary of the navy, Gideon Welles, and his wife, Mary Jane, had consulted mediums when their children died" p.380

"According to the journalist Noah Brooks, who came to Washington in November 1862 and became a part of Lincoln's inner circle, Mrs. Keckley led poor Mrs. Lincoln to the spiritualists. The black seamstress had received some solace from mediums when her own son had died in the war, and she hoped they might console her mistress' p.380

"While notably superstitious, Lincoln was not a spiritualist, but he is supposed to have attended two seances, one of them conducted by Miss Colburn in the Red Room of the White House on April 23. Gideon Welles and Edwin Stanton were part of the circle, and it is said that the spirits that night were idle until Lincoln ledft the company to go upstairs, where upon on spook pulled Welle's whiskers and another punched Stanton's ear"
"Lincoln was not a believer, but he did not discourage his wife from attending the seances, for it did comfort her when a medium was successful in evoking Willie's ghost. Still, the president did not want to see her duped." p.384 (no footnotes given)

[RJNorton]

On a more positive note, and as often is the case, I have forgotten where I read this. Possibly Donna can comment. But somewhere I read that Mary felt abandoned by many of her friends after the assassination. She was no longer First Lady, and many "friends" lost interest in her. But her spiritualist friends were the one group who did not abandon her. Just the opposite. They were very instrumental in giving her comfort and helping her through her overwhelming time of mourning.

[J. Beckert]

Who commented that when Mary finally left the White House in May, 1865, she "did not have one friend to comfort her"? Was that Elizabeth Keckley?

[Donna McCreary]

Some of the best research concerning Lincoln and seances was published by LINCOLN LORE, (No. 888, April 15, 1946; No. 1479, November 1962; No. 1499, January 1963; and No. 1500, February 1963). I took notes from these issues, but do not have full copies.

The first seance mentioned in these publications is one held in the summer of 1862 at the Soldiers' Home. Mrs. Keckly claims to have introduced Mary to the medium Lord Colchester. It was reported that Willie communicated with his mother by "scratches on the wainscoting and taps on the walls and furniture." Noah Brooks attended this one, but I am not sure about President Lincoln.


My notes list that President and Mrs. Lincoln attended a spiritualistic seance in the Red Parlor of the White House in December 1862. Miss Colburn was the medium and encouraged Lincoln to write the Emancipation Proclaimation. According to Miss Colburn, (and there is the key as to whether or not the story has merit) Lincoln said to her: "My child, you posses a very singular gift; but that it is of God I have no doubt. I thank you for coming here tonight."

Lincoln attended another seance with Mary on February 5, 1863. This one was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Crankston Laurie in Georgetown. The medium was Mrs. Belle Miller. This is the seance where Lincoln placed his hands under the piano, Congressman Somes, S. P. Kase, and a major of the Army of the Potomac sat on the piano, and it still continued to rise and fall.

April 1863, Lincoln, Mary, and several freinds (including Mr. Wells, and Mr. Stanton) attended a seance in the crimson room at the White House. (I assume the Red Parlor and the Crimson room are one in the same.) This is the seance in which a note from the deceased 1st Secretary of War, Henry Knox, left a note on the table.

Another seance was held sometime in the winter of 1863 - 1864 with Miss Colburn. This one was held in the Red Parlor - there is no mention of Lincoln being present.

However, he was present at the one held later in 1864, again by Miss Colburn.

It was the medium Lord Colchester whom Noah Brooks proved to be a faud. But even have he was proved to be false, Mary found others. And yet, when living in Frankfurt, Germany, Mary wrote to her friend Sally Orne:
"I am not neither a spiritualist, but I sincerely believe our loved ones, who have only 'gone before' are permitted to watch over those who were dearer to them than life."

---

(05-01-2013 04:16 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  On a more positive note, and as often is the case, I have forgotten where I read this. Possibly Donna can comment. But somewhere I read that Mary felt abandoned by many of her friends after the assassination. She was no longer First Lady, and many "friends" lost interest in her. But her spiritualist friends were the one group who did not abandon her. Just the opposite. They were very instrumental in giving her comfort and helping her through her overwhelming time of mourning.

Without looking it up, I think this sentiment was written by Jean Baker. While there is some truth in the statement, it is a small sliver of truth. Mary may have felt abondoned, but much of it was due to her own doing. She chose not to see people when they came to call. She chose to leave the White House quietly. Mary chose who to cut from her life (Mrs. Wells and Mrs. Keckly) and she chose who to bring closer to her.
Others may disagree with me, but this has always been my thoughts on the matter.

[Gene C]

Some of this is described in more detail in "Abraham Lincoln: From Sceptic to Prophet" by Wayne Temple p. 196-203

He also notes "For more informatin on Mary and Spiritualism, see Kristen Adams Wendt, "Mary Todd Lincoln: 'Great Sorrows' and the Healing Waters of Waukesha", The Lincoln Ledger, Vol 1, No. 3 (May 1993).