6 ullf'tin ot Tb~ Lin('o1n Nationa l Lite Foundatlo-n • , • Dr . R~ cf' ... ld !.U('~Iurtry, EditOf' Publi.eh4'CI ~o('h month b:r Th~ U n~ln National U fe ln,ur•nee Compan.r. Fo11 Wayne. lndi.aaa

Number 1557 FORT WAYNE, INDIANA November, 1967

Mr. 's Whiskers was the oft.-N-J>f!lltfd vlewe o( the dauuer~tyr~; which we first President of the United woor •u• tokcne or our de-­ States to wear a beard, and ~·ot~nt>M w you: we have com~ to the c.andkl det~tnnln­ in the late months of 1860 allon ttUit these medal• wo\lld and the early months of be much im11roved in BPa>eAr• 1861 practically everybody nnce, provided Y'OU would cul­ was talking about this tivat~ whlakeNI and Wl!'ar "noble hirsute a-ppendage" eundinsr eolla.rs. Believe u:fl nothinll but an which the President- elect t'arnest dHire thAt "out" can· had affected. When Lincoln's didate.. should bt the beet beard first started to grow, Jookinll •e well aa the be3t of a newspaper reporter with the rival c-andidate.. would induce u• to upon a whimsical sense of hun1or YOur valued time.'""'*" wrote that uthe President Your moat .Sncere and was putting on (h)airs." t'ftr-n('tl.t. we11 wi~C'rlf. Those close to Lincoln in True ~Publicans the Republican party were P.S. We rt!all1 fear Yot('5 will be 101\t t.O ··,b~ c-ause·• unlt"M quick to point out that OUT "~eent1C' hinte'" are atl~nd· bearded men of action were cd ,o, now destined to take over '!'. R. t.he reins of government Add~ in N>PI.y box U.U, New York Cit.Y. from clean-shaven men who c. o. L. dressed in broadcloth and \Vhose chief attribute was It was eleven- year - old oratory. The opposition Crace Bedell of Westfi eld, press saw "something su­ New York. who forthright­ preinely ridiculous ... in ly broached the subject. She having a President-elect . .. wrote Lincoln that her fath­ devote his energies to culti­ er (Norman Bedell, a foun­ vating whiskers." Neverthe­ dry man) had brought Lin­ les:;, beards were becoming coln's picture home from popular in the 1860s. the fair, along with that of Mr. Hamlin (Lincoln's vice· Perhaps there were sev­ presidential running mate). eral good reasons why Lin­ She discreetly pointed out coln grew a beard while in her letter that "all the waiting to assume office. ladies like whiskers and Lincoln had no illusions they would tease their hus­ about his appearance, but bands to vote for you ... no one knows for certe.in If you would let your that he grew whiskers to whiskers g-row." Grace was cover up his home1iness. convincing. S he wrote, 'IJ Some influentia l political have got four brothers and leaders in the Republican part of them will vote for party advised a beard to Gruec Ued ell wrote 1\f r. Lincoln that " My fa ther ha.s ou anyway and i r you w ill give the incoming Presi­ r.et your whiskers grow 1 dent a look of distinction. just (come) home !rom the fair and b rought home your will try to get the rest of In the p icture u.nd Mr. Hamlin's." Further on iii her letter •he them to vote for you/' She papers of the Library of made 1he comment that "your fate is so thin.n Undoubt­ continued, "You would look Congress. there is a let.tea· edly sh e "'as referring to the " National .Re publican Chart'"' a great deal better for your addressed to Lincoln, by the face is so thin." Lincoln's True Republicans, suggest· featuring the Prc.sidentiol Campaign or 1860. This broad· eleven-year.. old conespon­ ing that be should "culti­ side, n umsuring 2 8"x36"', was copyrighred in 1860 by ll. dent assured him, "My fath­ vate whiskers and wear II. Lloyd or' d Co., Inc. through the Clerk's Office of the er is going to vote for you standing collars." The let­ DiJS trict Co1trt for tlte Southern District New York. In ... i! I was a man I would ter, dated October 12. 1860, or vote for you to but I will (three days before Grace u lette r to It. W. F ny o ( DeKalh, Illinois, d nted April 3, try to get everyone to vote Bedell wrote Lincoln) fol­ 1890 1\lrs. Billings sta ted tha t '"a g lance ot the huge a n d for you that 1 can." lows: ga udy poster bro ug ht us children b y our (other WU:f ruther Lincoln replied to Grace Oeto~r 12. IS60 cli.s.np1)0inting ...'' Thi~ political broad side in color i$ on October 19, 1860, "As to To the Hon. Abm. Lintoln l)erb ap5 one of the mosl voluable ao be found tod oty i n the whiskers, having never Oett•• Sir :my Linco ln collection. The Fo undation h n5 owned an worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece Allow A num~r of ve1•y e xcelle nt copy lor many yea rtJ. Jn 1965 t\ COI)Y w id for earnan Republicans to In­ of silly affection (sic) if I timate to you, that 11fter ssoo. were to begin now?" 2 LINCOLN LORE

'\l1arren from Delphos, Kansas, u h ''( /.. '... .. I,;_ . seems 80 re:nutrkob]e tl1nt the letter t r,, {1 ~,~ seot to i\lr. Uoeoln should still be in existenc:e, a foet ot which I was i«nor-­ ant u"ntil a little more than n year .· ago."'

Westfield, Chautauqua Co., N.Y. Oct. 15, 1860. Hon. A. B. Lincoln, Dear Sir: My father has just home from the lair and bro u~tht home your picture and }fr. Hamlin's. I am a little girl only eleven years old, but want you should be Pres ident of the United States very much so I hope you won't think me very bold to write to s uch a great man i• .. ~ ,/ - ,;.n // ..r·~· as you are. Have you any little I if ~ > H girls about as large as am so .. , " · ~ ... )' ,., •• ",II'• '}I- r. give them my love and tell her to 1-·rom o MM('(IJ~ Notto~tol U Je ""'" h J .f.. ft .. (J,/ ,...~;. ·'-·/~ write me if you cannot answer this Feeial OOC.U• A. Dondero-, n congressman from Good Bye. :dons. The Billings tamily receh•ed Royal Oak, Michi,an, to d eliver. Mr. GRACE BEDELL. many ofl'ers for the lener over the Dondeflo, upon offering the letter to years from .historical sodeties, private Airs. Billings., received n letter _from individuals, institutions and d ealers. her in 1929 in which she mode the The ofT e r JS "'·ere aJ"· ~tys d eelined until following eomment: u h seems ([Uite Sometime after this correspon· it was finally decided to place the le t­ wonderful that lhe lener wrillen al· dence, Lincoln let his whiskers grow ter at auction in Murch, 1966. most t'ixty nine ye:Ur 15 sinee shouJd yet and thereby made obsolete all the In Cl1arlc4! Hnmilton'JJ Auction Cata­ be in exis teJU~e. 1 think you should paintings, lithographs and engravings Jo.ue, Number 12, the physicnl eOn· rctuin it .i( you r eally wish, with m y that had been published and widely dilion of the nmnu.5cript is d escribed: thanks for your interest in it.'' Mr. cirAbe is raising Dougla!". The " little ba.by siste r"' was whiskers and is not as ugly as he and valuable Lincoln letter C'\' Cr to be Eunice Uedc.ll who grew to '\ot·oman­ was ." The date was January 1, 18&1, offered at nuction. In an interview hood nnd died in 1890. Of the te n midway betw~n the election and the "''ith the l)rC'I'I8 (New York Time.s) "Mr. ··hildrcn bor•• to Norman Bedell und inauguration. Wolper said he bought the letter be­ AnHtndn Bedell, fi,·e boys and five Many people wondered how the ~nuse I happen to be u Lincoln tan. J[irls, Cruce outlived them all. beard could have grown so rapidly As a collector and from un emotional O n Murch 17, 1931. Mrs. Cruec when they firs t saw the Pres ident­ point of ,•iew it's worth 8 20,000 to Be-dell Billin«s wrote D r. l.ouiJS A. elect on his inaugural tour en route rne.'' LINCOLN LORE 8 to Washington, D.C. On February 16, service in completing your book, I 1861 an interesting incident in con­ should be pleased to send you a copy." nection with Lincoln's beard occurred I Apparently, Herndon requested a in Westfield, New York. An eal'lv ac­ copy of Mr. Lincoln's Jetter as one, count of what happened has pe1:haps in Grace BedeJl's handwriting, is to be been best related in a letter Grace found in the Herndon-Weik collection Bedell wrote to William H. Herndon in the Library of Congl'OSS. Miss Be­ on December 14, 1866. Writing from dell was a very poor cofyist. She left Albion, Orleans County, New York. out the word 41Private' and hel' ar­ she addressed the lawyer-biofl'rapher rang-ement of Lincoln's words to the incorrectly as Hon. L. R. Herndon: line arc different. She also left out '•Hearing that you were preparing three words, "years of a~e" and Ior press, the life of the noblest of changed "affection" to read 'affecta­ n1en, and that you wished nil unpub­ tion/' Her closing lines were unlike lished leHers of his composinl(' sent those written by Lincoln, and it ap­ to you, I concluded that l would nsk pears that she furnished Herndon with if a Jetter which he once ,..-rote me a copy of the letter written from would prove acceptable. I do not know memory. that it would answer yout· purpose or A more complete account of the l would send a copy of it now, how­ Westfield incident was prepared by ever, I will tell you its subject and lllrs. Grace Bedell Billings to be read you shall judge. Before Mr. Lincoln's at the dedication of the Foundation's election in 1860, I, then a child o! Lincoln Libt·ary.. Museum on February eleven years, was presented with his 11, 1931. Mrs. Billings, then 83 years lithograph. Admiring him with my of age, recalled the most exciting whole heart, I thought still, that his episode of her entire life. appearance would be much improved ~'Before President L incoln's spe­ should he cultivate his whiskers. cia l train arrived at Westfield, N.Y. Childish thoughts must have utter­ 1-'rom Life- or Abraham Linooln Mr. Lincoln is said to have asked ance, so I proposed that idea to him, hlf Clij(OR M . NieltDl• .Ma•l. Cr'OH'cll & l

.'-~rem• tlte N~tt~ Yorl: Jll~adrated New•

/o'roM thll IAnroln Nalio'lft~l /,.if~ 1'01t"doliotol The nt:"''!pa pe r dated ~lareh 2 , 1861 which fe utttl'4!d Lincoln's bea rd a Railroad T rnek!S a t Wc,.o-e; tfield, New York with piet ure of the PrC8id eo1--eleet entitled. T h e Lincoln inaugural trAin stopped al Wettfield, Ch a utauqua County, New Hl\fr. Lincoln In His Ne w Facia_l Ap­ York o n Februar y 16, 1861. Grace Bed ell "''cnt to the railroad [Station to !fee pointntents" ond a short article bear­ the Pre.sident-eleet, aec:ompnnied by t-wo o lde r aiste.r"8, one of whom had an ing the same tide. On p nge 272 of tbi.s escort by tJte n a me of 1\t cCormack. Unool n eould be heard, but Lcc:.ause of the same issu e is to be fo und the Belling­ crowd Crace JI[O t only a fe w glimpsea of the new P·resident. Onee she heard h a m Ongnent advertisement. u p ro­ h im inq1.1.i re fOr h er, ~h e took the h a nd of h er sister's beau who made n line d uet which Mr. I.incoln i!J alleged to through the erowd and led her to a low platform alo ng the tra(k be8ide the ha~·e used to lStjmulate the growth of trnin. his whif!k erff. 4 LINCOLN LORE

~--: "_·:

PRESIOUT liNCOUl PRESIDENT LllCOU. PRESIDUT llNCOll

I 1•ol IU. ' "•· 010 YOU i t£ tnt MU$JAoQirl. l DID VOU 6tt ..,. MI.IJIACII(' 010 YOU aU .., MUITAQIO N\1,....,_.1 'ltaw•u I'CI>h...... "'" .., ...... Iori" '...t --...... loOC-Q.• '

~~''"''•"''"llU.t•f"l••o ...... IEJ.UlfOBA.M.. , OXOV!11'__ L-_ 0.. o.IW• IM.

!,-... ""-.-----·- .,.,, •11 •III Cir'' 11\t,Yl .. A»l• >1\o:tl•llt.• 8[LLIMOHAM f ,...... __.,u, ' STIIUUTII G OIGUEI I, Photo{l1'dp.A frv:mt Vo"itu Fair The Va,ity Fair enrtoon which lampooned_ Lincoln's whitkera, taken from page !26 of the !\larch 16. 1861 i 88ue. The eaption £oUows : ''D elu8ive Dru«giat. - ·------~­...... There's 'is Heffi~y in wax, Sir, whiskers nnd all. Try one o£ them pots, and in ---'*-·-----·-··------.._ -.. three week s you'll be as 'airy and 'ansom ns 'im." (meanin« Lineol_n). ---TK.ESli.KliLA'iTNC 0-S"OVJ!IT day that it came to me as a relief buggies and once crawling under a .. - ...... -...... - .....- and a pleasure.' wagon. Such was my confusion that ::.~:--... -·-.. -·· uy was at the station with my two I completely forgot the bouquet of WHJSlEIS Oi l I USl&(l(. sisters and a Mr. McCormack who roses that I was going to give t.o ...... -· ·-· ...... had escorted us there when the the great man to whom I had _...... _ -.._...... _ _ president's train arrived. In my offered s uch rare advice, and when ...... -- .... hand was a bouquet of roses which I arrived home I had the stems, all :'!...-:- ---.::.;: ..::~ ::;;:;.: -:: a neighbor had furnished so that I that remained of the bouquet, still =-.:..-:..:-..::::_.... ~·::.:.:] might give them to the president. tightly clutched in my hand. .:::.:..... _ ... ~- -·';. .':':" _ .:..·.-::...:_.. ,_ .... The crowd was so large and l was "It seemed to me as the presi­ :.:.. ..;·:...:~ .:..=::--::::-:: so little that I could not see the dent stooped to kiss me that he ..' .. _.. _..."':'...... _ -.::.. :.::: -:-..:...... president as he stood on the rear look very k ind, yes, and sad." _ __ platform o! his train making his This statement was most appropri· - "''''*- address. But at the end of a short ate for the Foundation's Lincoln ·. -..:; speech he announced, 'I have a Library-Museum dedication as the little correspondant in this place, short play "Why Lincoln Grew A and if she is present will she please Beard" by Dr. Louis A. \Varren was come forward 1' presented to the assembled audience. 4uw·ho is it? - What is her Some of the Foundation director's own children played roles in the skit. This F'f'Otll a Lincoln NQtiqxol U fe name?' shouted a chorus of voices Po~t"datioft Ph.otooropll from the erowd. dramatic presentation was never pub­ "'Grace Bedell,' answered Mr. lished, but it was widely distributed Thi~ unauthorized nnd fic.titioua od,·cr­ L incoln. many years ago to interested Lin· Lise.ment eonoe.rning Linooln't use of "Taking my hand, the gentleman coin. Lore subscribers. o whiaker·growing cone~t ion appear­ who had escorted us to the station To be sure, the whiskers stirred up ed in Tlae IV etc )' ork lllrutraled NetD6 made a lane through the crowd and much ridicule in the contemporary on 1\furdt 2, 1861, just two days be· led me to the low platform beside press. The newspaper At/a$ & A>·guo Core he was inau1urated President of the train. The president stepped of February 23, 1861 carried an the United Slates. h i :S "'ort.h wh.ilc down from (the) car, shook my article copied from The Orleans Re­ to note that a Belliqbarn Stimulating hand, and kissed me. 'You see,' he publican. as follows: HThere seems to 1 Ongueut ad~ertisernent'"''U8 also run in said, indicating his beard, 1 let be something supremely ridiculous in these troubled times, when our veJ"Y the ~1areb 2, 1861 (page 239) i ..ue these whiskers grow for you1 Grace.' uThe crowd cheered and tne pres. national existence is imperilled, in of Frank Le.tie'• llluatraled Netcl• ident reentered his car. 1 was so sur­ having a President elect who d.evotes pap~r• but apparently the editors of prised and embarrased by the presi­ his energies to cultivating wh1skers. that journal wou_ld nol t unc: tion the dent's unexpected conduct that I and otherwise improving his personal 'lnention of Lincoln's beard in the nd· ran home as fast as I could~ dodging appearance. . vertising copy. in and out between horses and (To be c~mtinued in the Jan., '68 18sue)