AXES and ANCESTRY: LINCOLN NEVER SAID THAT Ax
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FF oo rr TT hh ee PP ee oo pp ll ee A NEWSLETTER OF THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN ASSOCIATION VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3 FALL 2010 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS AXES AND ANCESTRY: LINCOLN NEVER SAID THAT ax. Instead of chopping down trees, sharpening a wedge on a log, the ax Lincoln uses the ax to kill dreaded vam- glanced and nearly took my thumb off, pires who killed his mother, Nancy and there is the scar, you see.” The key Hanks Lincoln, as well as others. words “six” and “hours” are found in While the novel reflects the current two newspaper accounts of Lincoln‟s Twilight novel craze of vampires and address to citizens of Lafayette, Indi- werewolves, it also underscores a num- ana, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ber of spurious quotes attributed to both delivered as president-elect en- Abraham Lincoln and axes. route to Washington, D.C. On February 11, 1861, Lincoln told the good people A very good friend presented me with a of Lafayette: “Now only six hours have By Thomas F. Schwartz gift some years ago, a paperweight elapsed since I left my home in Illinois Illinois State Historian with the phrase, “Chop your own wood, where I was surrounded by a large con- and it will warm you twice, A. Lin- course of my fellow citizens, almost all A popular cable show that highlights coln.” Undoubtedly a true sentiment of whom I could recognize, and I find the skills and dangers of loggers felling but one not uttered by Abraham Lin- myself far from home surrounded by tall trees is “Ax Men.” While modern coln. Rather, Henry Ford of automobile the thousands I now see before me, who loggers favor power saws over Abra- fame is credited with originating the are strangers to me.” Ten days later, ham Lincoln‟s traditional ax, this an- quote. Two other quotes, however, are Lincoln indicated to the residents of cient tool still is useful in certain in- widely circulated on the Internet that Philadelphia: “I must now get some stances. Lincoln‟s youth was spent are attributed to Lincoln but lack any refreshment, gentlemen. After that I learning how to wield an ax. This skill information on when or where he said shall be glad to shake hands with all of was necessary to clear land for farming, them: you that I can. But there are sufficient provide lumber for buildings, and split people here to keep me shaking hands fence railing to keep livestock either in “Give me six hours to chop down a tree for six hours.” In both instances, Lin- or out of fields and gardens. Lincoln‟s and I will spend the first four sharpen- coln uses the “six hours” reference in association with the ax continued until a ing the ax.” political terms: time lapsed from depart- week before his assassination. He en- ing home to take the oath in Washing- tertained troops at the Depot Field Hos- “If I only had an hour to chop down a ton; and the political custom of pressing pital at City Point, Virginia on April 8, tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes the flesh, or hand shaking. John Hay 1865, by picking up an ax and chopping sharpening my ax.” wrote to John Nicolay on July 19, 1863: a nearby pile of wood. In some ac- “I ran the Tycoon through one hundred counts, Lincoln allegedly performed a Both reflect the same meaning and dif- grand finale by taking the ax handle in fer only in the amount of time spent in his right hand and lifting it slowly until sharpening the ax. But did Lincoln say it was at a right angle to his body, either of them? where he held it for several moments. Lincoln‟s New Salem associates often The Collected Works of Abraham Lin- commented on his strength and agility, coln and The Recollected Words of which he maintained throughout his Abraham Lincoln fail to contain any- life. thing closely related to these quotes. The key words “sharpening” and “ax” A recent work of fiction by Seth Gra- are contained in a reminiscence by the hame-Smith, Abraham Lincoln: Vam- sculptor Leonard W. Volk, who re- pire Hunter, provides a whole new defi- called Lincoln saying, “It is true that I nition to Abraham Lincoln‟s use of an did split rails, and one day while I was (Continued on page 2) 2 A NEWSLETTER OF THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN ASSOCIATION FOR THE PEOPLE (Continued from page 1) sources were readily available that Hill may his autobiographical notes to John Locke court martials! A steady sitting of six have consulted in his research? Ida Tarbell Scripps, that Lincoln knew about his fa- hours.” This reaffirms what we know of with J. McCan Davis published a heavily ther‟s father, particularly his being killed by Lincoln‟s laser focus and durable sitzfleisch illustrated book in 1896 entitled The Early Indians on the Kentucky frontier. but says nothing about sharpening axes or Life of Abraham Lincoln: Containing Many chopping trees. Unpublished Documents And Unpublished Another possibility available to Hill was Reminiscences of Lincoln’s Early Friends. Eleanor Gridley‟s The Story of Abraham Although Lincoln had mastered the use of Lincoln: Or the Journey from the Log an ax, he remained less skilled in knowing Cabin to the White House (1900). In Chap- his family genealogy. Genealogists still ter 26, “Recovery of the Lincoln Folk-Lore argue over the paternity of Nancy Hanks Stories” (pp. 206-07), John J. Hall, Lin- Lincoln, and at least one website and mu- coln‟s step-nephew, recounted a bout of seum in North Carolina still insists that Lincoln‟s depression. Hall inquired Abraham Enloe, not Thomas Lincoln, is the “What‟s up, Uncle Abe? Are ye sad ‟cause biological father of Abraham. Among Ann Rutledge died?” Claiming that was Lincoln‟s papers are letters of inquiry by not the cause of his blue mood, Lincoln other individuals named Lincoln if per- finally admitted, “I can‟t bear to think I chance they might be related. Several of don‟t know who my grandfather was.” Abraham‟s replies exist in which he ex- Hall reminded Lincoln that he heard him plains his limited knowledge of his ances- many times recount the murder of Grandfa- tors. A widely circulated quote that ap- Judge Lawrence Weldon ther Abraham Lincoln by Indians. As Hall described Lincoln: “Abe looked at me sol- pears in Frederick Trevor Hill‟s Lincoln the One of Tarbell‟s aims was to disprove alle- emn like and said, „I don‟t mean him; I Lawyer (1906) states (p.3): “I don‟t know gations that Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lin- who my grandfather was, and am much mean my mother‟s father.‟” coln were never married, as well as to dem- more concerned to know what his grandson onstrate the distinguished lineage of the will be.” The quotation lacks a source but These dueling reminiscences tug in differ- Lincoln family. Providing a facsimile copy ent directions. One is recalled from a 100- seems to fit the chapter title “Lincoln‟s of the marriage certificate of Thomas and Mythical Birthright to the Law.” Hill be- year-old man and credited to Lincoln‟s last Nancy Lincoln signed by the Reverend Attorney General who never used it in any gins the chapter by quoting an unnamed Jesse Head, Tarbell also provided an appen- eulogist who claimed: “Lincoln is not a of his writings about Lincoln, while the dix containing an interview with centenar- other is simply described as “folk-lore.” type. He stands alone—no ancestors—no ian Christopher Columbus Graham who fellow—no successors.” Lincoln, accord- The way that both Graham and Hill use the claimed to have witnessed the marriage of entire quote suggests Lincoln didn‟t care ing to Hill, was sui generis, lacking any Abraham Lincoln‟s parents. The interview connection to a biological inheritance but about his ancestors, only what the future occurred in 1884. In it, Graham stated, would hold for his grandchildren. A darker pointing to the future. “President Lincoln told James Speed: „I use only cites the first portion of the quote don‟t know who my grandfather was, and and is used to support Lincoln‟s fears about Hill was born in 1866, a year after Lin- am more concerned to know what his coln‟s death, making it impossible for him his mother‟s alleged illegitimacy. Of note, grandson will be.‟” Graham ends the however, William Herndon and Ward Hill to have had direct knowledge of Lincoln. thought with “I am not sure that we know, When Hill decided to write about Lincoln Lamon had already raised this issue in either, perfectly yet.” But Tarbell asterisks print, so it was already taking on its own as a lawyer, he read a sampling of pub- the sentence and in a footnote argues: “The lished works and interviewed the small existence as legend. Lincoln‟s angst about memoranda for Lincoln‟s genealogy (page his mother‟s origins was expressed in pri- number of living Lincoln associates such as 223), and the introduction to this work, as Isaac N. Phillips and Robert R. Hitt. In a vate to William Herndon in a buggy ride to well as the first chapter, show that we do the Menard County Court, published in the New York Times article of February 2, know now, beyond a doubt, who and what 1907, Robert Todd Lincoln indicated that Herndon/Weik biography of Lincoln. A Lincoln‟s ancestors were.” thorough search of the documentary record he had nothing to provide Hill about his father‟s legal practice.