T h e Mis s in g C h a p t e r in the L ife o f A b ra h a m L in c o ln A n um be r o f a t c es e s o d es h o o ra h s en a n d r i l , p i , p t g p , p in k s k etch es con ce rn i n g th e l i f e o f Abr ah a m Lin co l n in S en ce ou n t n d an a b etween p r C y, I i , 1 8 1 6 - 1 83 0 a n d 1 844 B y B E S S V . E H RM ANN P en a n d In k S ke t c h es B y M ARY LE E GAB B E RT W P i A M . u bl s h e r LTE R H I LL , H ICAGO LLINOIS C , I COPYRIGHT 1 93 8 E HR M NN B SS V. E A b t o . This ook is dedicated my husband , Dr D eB ruler Calder Ehrmann , a descendant f e o a southern Indiana pion er family , and t o my beloved children , Edwin , Dorothy and Carlos , who were born and grew up in the same county where Abraham Lin coln spent the formative years of his life . FO REWO R D BY TH E A"THO R ’ The writing of these pages , concerning Lincoln s life in o f Indiana , has been done to preserve in book form some the incidents that occurred in his life in Spencer County , 1 8 1 6 - 1 8 0 1 8 t o Indiana , from 3 and in 44 ; and also make available for future historians some facts not generally known concerning research work o n his life here . f 1 2 0 . o In 9 Mr John E Iglehart Evansville , Indiana , founded the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society and “ shortly after coined the phrase , The Lincoln Inquiry . ’ He realized there was a missing chapter in Lincoln s life , the fourteen formative years spent in Indiana , which had never been written by historians and which could never be written by outsiders who would perhaps spend a few days r s h o uld in investigation in Spence County ; but it be written , a n d by the children and grandchildren o f those people who knew Lincoln in his boyhood days . h o Mr . Iglehart said that it was the people w live near ’ the scenes o f Lincoln s early life who are best able to inter pret its environment . They are intimately acquainted with o f th e the descendants his boyhood friends , have heard stories of his life as related by their elders , therefore , ought to be in a positio n to write more understandingly o f those early days . Having been born in Spencer County of the third genera ’ tion o n my grandfather s side and the fourth o n my grand ’ mother s and having lived here practically all my life , I ’ have known the children and grandchildren of Lincoln s neighbors . ’ h o My grandmother s father was John Bayliss , w came to Spencer County soon after Rockport became the county FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR seat . My grandmother , Evaline Bayliss , was married in Rockport o n August the 2 1 s t 1 8 2 9 t o Thomas Pindal th o n 0 Britton , and their marriage record is the 5 page 3 o ld o f in the marriage record book that pioneer time , and kept in the present Spencer County Court House . Thoma s a Pindal Britton , my grandf ther , came from Virginia to 8 2 1 . Rockport , Spencer County , in 7 My mother was Rachel Britton . ’ T o live in a community one s entire life and t o have heard o f the early people from those who have lived there before y ou cause you t o know such a communi t y and its many families well . You know their social and economi c status and those o f their ancestors far better than an out sider . ’ With this knowledge o f Lincoln s friends and associates con in Spencer County , I record here only those incidents n ect ed with his years lived in Indiana and information “ brought to light by The Lincoln Inquiry . AC KNOWLE D GM ENT I wish to acknowledge here the help received from many sources in compiling this material . o f First to the memory o f the late John E . Iglehart o f Evansville , Indiana , descendant southern Indiana pio n e er s h o , w inspired all members of the society which he founded , to give such facts. to the world as were known to ’ them concerning Lincoln s background in Indiana . f h o . o w To Mr William Fortune Indianapolis , Indiana , was born and reared a few miles west o f the Lincoln home in southern Indiana . Mr . Fortune has allowed me to use i his valuable historic monograph in this book . H s knowl edge o f southern Indiana history and inte rest in its people e have be n outstanding . ’ F T o O l n n . Miss Anna y and Rev Edward J Murr , both ’ In investigators of Lincoln s li fe Indiana , whose valuable articles appear in this book . “ " To Lincoln Lore , edited by Dr . Louis A . Warren and published by the Lincoln National Life Insurance Founda e . tion of Fort Wayne , Indiana , for c rtain dates and facts To the “ Indiana Magazine of History" for articles by o f the writer this book , published by them , and used again in part in this book . T o . r Dr J . Christian Bay of Chicago , Ill , admire of ’ Abraham Lincoln . Dr . Bay s knowledge of books and book 18 a d making well known and his interest , suggestions and f vice have bee n o great assistance . To the Indianapolis S t a r and Evansville C o ur ier fo r use o f . articles by the author , published first by them T o . Mrs James Gabbert , Spencer County pioneer de s cen d a n t h o fo r , w did the photographic copies the book , x ACKNOWLEDGMENT did and to her daughter , Mary Lee Gabbert , artist , who the pen and ink sketches . M c ll h f To Miss Lillian Hoch and Mrs . Bertha Cu oug o r t o ll h stenographic help and Miss Betty Aliene M cC u oug . To those wh o s o kindly loaned me the pictures o f their fo r a d ancestors , and use of the pioneer biographies and ’ dresses written by members O f the Southwestern Indiana r Historical Society and kept in ou files . T o Edna Brown Sanders , President Of the Southwestern t Execu Indiana Historical Socie y , and the members of the tive Board wh o have s o graciously given their approval t o my work . T o e ff . Deirdr Du Johnston , Mt Vernon , Indiana , Emily f o f Orr Clif ord and the late Albion Fellows Bacon , Evans I co - s ville , ndiana , worker in the Lincoln Inquiry , and whose interest has been an inspiration to me . c r Without the above help , this book ould neve have been written . T HE AUT HOR TAB LE O F CONTENTS PAGE D EDIC ATION FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR AC KNOWLEDGMENT PART I Sp en cer Coun t y Hist ory Format ive Yea rs E n viron men t T h e Lin coln I n q uiry T h e Missin g Ch a pt er PART I I A n I n diana Invest igat or "Willi a m Fort un e “ ’ Lin coln s Boyhood F r ien ds ’ H Kn n e e s N e rs "R ev . E a w Li coln ighbo J . dw rd Murr ’ ’ I n t ervi ewi n g Lin coln s N eighbors "Miss An n a O Flyn n PART I I I Lin col n Rid es t o Rockport D own in the Lin coln Coun t ry of I n di an a ’ Wh ere Lin col n s Mot her Lies Buried ’ S a rah Lin col n s Gra ve T he Lin coln Pagea n t A Lin col n Pion eer Vill age ’ Thomas Sp a rrow s Will Lin coln Cabi n et M a ker His Spirit Lives L I ST O F I LL"STRATI ON S PLATE H C L C . 1 . LAST OME OF THE LIN O NS IN SPEN ER COUNTY O " L C W O C L 2 . T INE MAP OF SPEN ER COUNTY, ITH L A ITIES ’ PERTAINING TO LIN C OLN S EARLY LIFE . O L D PIGEON BAPTIST CH "RC H . P I " C R LEAF FROM IGEON BAPT ST CH R H E C ORD BOOK . FAC SIMILE OF LETTER OF LIN C OLN . JOHN E . IGLEHART . WILLIAM FORTUNE . W HOME OF MR . AND MRS . JOSIAH CRA FORD . D — P MR . AND MRS . AVID TURNHAM . THOMAS INDALL — — BRITTON . JUDGE JOHN GRAHAM . JUDGE LEMUEL D E - P — C "L . H . L QUIN Y BR ER ON JOHN ROC TOR . CO . K . G . R . ELLAMS — . A . L . A L JAMES GRIGSBY FRED LAMAR MR AND MRS .