Abraham Lincoln (27 page)

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There is not a scintilla of evidence for Sandburg's scenes about Lincoln and Ann. In fairness, though, Sandburg did delete a lot of this material in a one-volume condensation of the
Prairie
and
War Years
. But even there he persists in suggesting a romance between Lincoln and Ann and even quotes Edgar Lee Master's ridiculous poem about how Ann Rutledge, “beloved in life of Abraham Lincoln,” was wedded to him in her grave. Later Sandburg was sorry that he had fallen for the legend. He should have known it was out of character for Lincoln, he said.

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Nor is there any truth to the persistent gossip that John C. Calhoun (or possibly Henry Clay) was Lincoln's real father. After my life of Lincoln appeared in 1977, I received several letters chastising me for not stating that the great Calhoun had authored Lincoln. Where else could he have gotten his political skills and eloquence? This assumes, of course, that somehow, somewhere (a haystack in Virginia or Kentucky?), Senator Calhoun and Nancy Hanks fooled around and the result was the future Head of the Nation. Of all the fanciful notions about Lincoln, this is the most preposterous. Thomas Lincoln was Lincoln's father, period.

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A view held by certain white scholars, too, but for a different reason. For them, this illustrates his admirable conservatism and legalistic approach.

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In those days, state legislatures chose U.S. Senators. Lincoln hoped to win by persuading Illinois voters to elect Republican rather than Democratic candidates to the legislature.

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Because so many southerners had resigned their congressional seats and joined the Confederacy, the Republicans had gained control of both houses on Capitol Hill. Thereupon they had voted to expel the secessionists as traitors.

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The amendment was finally ratified in December, 1865. Until then, the freedom of most southern blacks rested on Lincoln's Proclamation.

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Irvin McDowell had been the army's first commander; McClellan had replaced him.

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For a discussion of this point, see the reference notes.