The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1863-04-01
The True Pedigree and Early History
of Abraham Lincoln.

your paper, copied from one Of your ex.
changes, purpor,mg to give the pedigree
and early history OF Abraham Lincoln.
the President OF the Uui,ed States. As
the article in question abounded in errors.
which the writer Of this article, by personal
acquaintance with The subject, is enabled
to correct and rs the subject itself is one
Of general interest, he feels il to be his
duty to lay before the public a true state
ment Of the facts.
The man known a. Abraham Lincoln,
who now sits in the seat once occupied
respectively by Washington, Madison,
Jefferson, and Jackson. WAS born in the
county Of Hardin, now the county Of
Darne, in the State Of Kentucky and sbou,
forty miles from where the writer Of this
article lives when at homs The mother
was single woman Of very low social
position, by the name Of Hannah Hanks.
She was generally reputed to have from
one eighth to one sixteenth Of negro blood
in her veins, and always associated with
negroes on terms Of equality. According
to the statement of Hannah Hanks, her
illegitimste child was the son OF Abraham
Inflow, (who was still. alive and in Ken.
tucky in September ls6l) Ihave, my
self, heard her make this statement
Moreover, Inlow always claimed the child
As his own. Here, then, is the testimony
Of the two witnesses most conveIsant with
the facts, both establishing hey ond caril,
that Inflow is Lincoln's father.
will here give a few fac.s i" regard
to InIow. He was originally from North
Carolina, but emigrated to kentucky
when very young. He ia quite tell, be
ing about six fee, three inches in height.
He goes barefoot in the summer, aud !,
have never seen him with Goa, on but
once. His pants are held up by one sus.
psnder only, worn over the left shoulder.
His nose is dis6gured by having n piece
about the size Of dime III: out II it in .
fight.
When little Abe was four years and
six months old his mother intermarried
with = man by the name Of Lincoln, and
the boy was afterwards called by his step
fathers name. One night old Lincoln
coming home and fin ding Iu:ow a, his
house, felt those pangs which once al.
turbsd the noble O:heilo and caused him
TO immediate the spoilsss Ds.demoua.-
He fol, those sad psngs, bu, he did no.
60 off Tito soliloques nor talk tragedy,
but like back " woodsn,xn Of .ths coarser
mould be pitched into Inlow. and tbey
had a regular set to- Lincoln bit of
portion Of Inlow's nose, and the latter dc
prived Lincoln Of one joint Of his thumb.
After this affair old Lincoln became ex.
trsmely cruel to Abe. and his mother
found it necessary to send him 10 live
with lady who lived in the neig ghbor.
hood. There he remained until he was
about thirteen years Of aye. BY this time
he WAS able to work on tho farm, and old
Lincoln rsleuted towards him and permit
ted him to return and live with bim.-
The lady who gave Abe = home u. this
time was Mrs. McBryde, who afterwards
moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and who
was still living on the 18Th February,
1862. at which time the writer Of this
article saw her and conversed with her.
She can substsntiats The statements here
made. During Abe's residence at Mrs.
McBryds's he va. sent to an ordinary
old field school for three years, and then
obtained the requirements Of . rough cd.
ucation.
After his return home hs went no more
to school. Neither old Lincoln nor his
wife (Abe's mo.her) could read aud could
not see the use Of an education. Abe
was now put to hard work, and was even
compelled to work on Sundays. This hs
could not stand, so he ran away from
Lincoln and went ~ q hand on an Ohio
dat boat From this position he was pro.
noted TO the position OF deck hand on
a steamboat. Afterwards he Quit the
river, went into Illinois, near Springfield.
and became clerk Of . saw mill. Hs
soon afterwards studied law and com.
msncsd practicing before magistrates
courts. With his subsequent history the
public are acquainted, and do no, propose
to speak Of it, my object being to supply
information concerning ths, portion Of
his life which seemed to be least under.
stood.
There are two prominent facts 10 this
brief recital to which would call at,en.
ton. Ons of these is the African blood
And low associations Of Abe Lincoln's