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Son of a Rail Splitter
Posted Saturday, February 2, 2008, at 2:29 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
Every year at about this time, I start thinking about President Lincoln. Just this week, I was thinking of some of the things that I had read over the years concerning his eldest son, Robert. Robert Todd Lincoln lived an extremely historical life. As a young lad, he grew up in the presence of one of the most influential men in our country's history. After he graduated from Harvard in 1864, at the bequest of his father, he became a Staff Officer to General Grant. This position allowed him to be present at Appomattox for the historical signing of the surrender by General Lee. Not to mention the fact that he got to hang out for awhile with a great General and future President, as well as a host of other high ranking military men.
On April 14, 1865, he returned home and was asked by his parents to go to Ford's Theater to see a play. Robert was tired from his trip, so he declined and stayed at the White House. Of course, on that evening, John Wilkes Booth shot and killed his father. Robert was immediately summoned to his father's bedside at the Petersen House and was there when he died. The fact that he didn't go that evening, bothered him for the remainder of his life. He always thought that had he been there, he could have prevented the assassination.
After his father died, Robert and his mother moved to Chicago and her mental problems demanded that Robert commit her to a sanitarium. (Mom, if you are reading this, I just want you to know that I have never had any such thoughts, although I do remember my siblings whispering something about it quite some time ago. I think your favorite, Steven Neal was the ringleader.)
Robert Lincoln practiced law for several years in Chicago and was appointed Secretary of War (what we now call Secretary of Defense) by President James Garfield in 1881. Eight years later, he was appointed Ambassador to England by President Benjamin Harrison and finally, he became the President of Pullman Company.
In 1881, Robert was invited by President Garfield, just six months after he became President, to accompany him on a trip to a college reunion. As Robert arrived at the train station, the President was shot by Charles Giteau. Some 20 years later, Robert was invited by President William McKinley to join him on a trip to the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Once again, he arrived just as the President was shot by Leon Czolgosz (pronounced Shoal-Gus).
Although I could not find anything in my research about whether he was ever invited on any more trips by other Presidents, he did attend the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922 with former President Taft and then current President Warren G. Harding (see above picture). President Harding died 14 months later of a heart attack, but Taft lived on for another 8 years, so you couldn't say that he was a complete Presidential jinx.
Another interesting fact that I noticed while writing this article; Presidents Grant, Garfield, Harrison, McKinley, Taft and Harding were all born in Ohio. (Another Buckeye was that guy who cheated Sam Tilden out of the Presidency, Rutherford B. Hayes. By the way, Lincoln worked for the Hayes Presidential Campaign and was offered an appointment as an Assistant Secretary of State by President Hayes, but he turned it down.)
In later years, Robert recounted an interesting incident about when he was at a train station in Jersey City. He was bumped and fell between the railcar and the station platform. He said that a man reached down, pulled him up and saved his life. He recognized the man who pulled him up as the actor and brother of his father's assassin, Edwin Booth. It's a small world, but as Steven Wright used to say, "...I wouldn't want to paint it." Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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I just thought a sanitarium sounded like a very clean place to live.
and we think we have had it rough?
Keith,
Very well written. I have been reading some books on Lincoln I purchased from the Lincoln train when it stopped in Switz City. This was a very nice article and reminded me of our roots when Presidents were brave, well educated and evidently from Ohio. :-)
Thank you for your research.
Sorry, we're short of Presidential material over here this time around, which is unfortunate. While visiting recently, I found a portrait of Rutherford Hayes at Kenyon College, Class of 1843. President Hayes received his law degree from Harvard as well. Someone recently found some misplaced photos, possibly of President Lincoln, at Gettysburg the day of the "Address." They are very interesting.
I'm convinced that the shortage of Presidential material has spread far beyond the Ohio boundaries. By the way, another interesting note on Hayes, his wife Lucy, was the first college educated First Lady. She was known as Lemonade Lucy for not allowing alcohol to be served in the White House.
I was thinking this morning (an extremely taxing activity that I generally reserve for later in the day) about how ironic it is, in this day and age, for us to discuss sanitariums (funny farms, loony bins, mental asylums) in the same thread as the White House.
After Aden went to sleep last night, I began reading about the (SPCSCPG)(try saying that real fast) Society for the Prevention of Calling Sleeping Car Porters "George". It seems that every black porter who worked for Pullman Company was called George, after George Pullman. (Really great stuff out there to read about Pullman and the city he built for his company.)
Maybe that's where George Foreman got the idea to name his boys, George.
There is a big article on Bloomfield on the front page of the Indy Star this morning. It is nice and refreshing to read about small town American values and its support of the military. I'm sure some of it is due to the depressed economy, but I like to think more of it is due to patriotism. As they used to say on Hee-Haw, "Bloomfield, Indiana, population 2500, SA-LUTE!"
Wasn't Jack Benny's butler named George?
I've been studying the pic at the top of this blog and trying to figure out who Robert Lincoln reminds me of. Take away the beard, doesn't he look a lot like Ward Bond from Wagon Train? (Could be another blog idea, favorite old-time TV show/character.)
That's one of the (many) problems with growing old, everyone eventually reminds you of someone else.
I'm pretty new to this blogging, is it against etiquette to have more than one comment listed in a row?
Richard Boone, Have Gun, Will Travel
Steve McQueen, Wanted Dead or Alive
Vic Morrow, Combat
Some of my favorites.
Thanks, I just read the article in the Star. I also reviewed the responses. That was pretty sad.
No, Jack's butler was Rochester, I can't believe you forgot that.
The Cisco Kid.
Refering to the OHIO presidential group. The last one kind of left a bad taste for any in the future... oh and TV's made it hard for anyone mine and Taft's size.
Christopher George & Hans Gudegast (a.k.a. Eric Braeden),
Rat Patrol...the origin of my love for jeeps!
Oh, "the very clean place to live" I don't think I remember that in the pamphlet that i saw.
outnumbered, you've evidently spent too much time watching the Young and Restless. I always got a kick out of the Rat Patrol (2 jeeps) attacking a German convoy guarded by tanks.
Won't get you off the hook with Mom though.
Great Story!
wow, loved the story! but one question, was it before or after the assassination that he was saved by edwin booth?
Simmons another great article. One man from Terre Haute was a major player in the famous Pullman Strike, Eugene Debs. Debs was sent to prison for his part in the Pullman Strike, while in prison he ran for President of the United States, he was represented in the trial by Clarence Darrow of "Monkey Trial fame". Again thank you for a really good post.
edwin booth saved him many years after the assasination..
and aint the world really small when you think of it there, but to think that one man was present or near all those presidents when they were assinated... and the one that kills your father has a brother that spares you...
The information I have is that Robert recalled that the incident at the train station took place in either 1863 or 1864, prior to the assassination.
Debs did go to jail for his part in the Pullman Strike and that was an "obstruction of mail" charge, but he didn't run for President from prison until much later. This was in 1920 after he had been arrested for violating an Espionage Act. He ran for President several times during the early 1900's and I think he received the most votes of any Socialist candidate ever.
I wasn't aware of the Darrow tie, thanks, gives me something to read about.
yes simmons Your right on that Debs thing. He ran several times and when he got the most votes wwas in the 20 election.
I might be wrong myself about Lincolon but had heard it later in life.
oops did the typing thing--- Mrs. Sutton knew I was a bad typer thats why she gave me a D in it..
sorry guys.
This story reminds me of, "The Curse of Little Bastard." (sorry) James Dean's little sportscar.