Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-05
COLUMBUS. OHIO, WEDNESDAY MORNING
QDblo Statesman,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
A Very Curious Love Romance In His
..7.'. Life. ''t'..'.'.

tOO-RlVe me the gOOQ, KIM, sau ana ben-
der corner Of your hearts Tonight, not for
getting your heads. Ann Rutledge was
beautiful girl of New Salem from 1924 to
1886. She was born in Kentucky, January
Z, 1Sl3,a She was grandchild of the lib
erty-loving, patriotic Rutledges, of South
Carolina. Her father was born in South
Carolina amid the echoes of the cannon's
revolutionary roar. Mr.. Lincoln lived in
New Salem from 1880 to 1887, and boarded
for while with Cameron, who was the
partner of Mr.. Rutledge. Mr.. Lincoln
soon changed his home. He went and
boarded with Mr.. James Rutledge about
the years 1888 and 1884, and then and there
first became well acquainted with Ann Ruiz
ledge. He may have known her well be-
fore this. l have no space here to give
description of this beautiful, amiable and
lovely girl of nineteen. She was gifted
with good mind Three good and influeD-
tial men of the little village of New Salem
simultaneously fell in love with this girl
! A. Lincoln, Mr.. -, and Mr.. -. The
third man she quickly rejected. He was a
gentleman: SO was Lincoln; SO was -.
ALI these were strong men, men of power,
as time demonstrated. Circumstances,
| late, Providence, the iron chain of sweep
| ing events, so willed it that this young
lady was engaged to Mr.. Lincoln and Mr..
- at one and the same time. No earth
| ly blame can be attached to the girl, and
none to the men in their fidelity and honor
to her. 1t all SO happened, or was decided
| by fate. 1t shall, III truth, be explained
hereafter to the satisfaction of all. 1t is
sad, thrilling story. The young girl saw
| her condition. Her word of promise was
out to two men at the same time, both of
whom she loved, dearly loved. The con-
| of md ha nf nf 1nt
loves promises and womanly engagements,
made her think, grow sad, become restless
and nervous. She suffered, pined, ate not
and slept not. Time and struggle, as sup
posed and believed by many, caused her
to have raging fever, of which she died
on the 25th day of August, A. d. 1885, She
died on farm seven miles north, bearing
little west, of New Salem, and now lies
buried in the Concord graveyard, six miles
north, bearing little west of New Salem,
and four miles from Petersburg.
Abraham Lincoln loved Miss Ann Rut-
ledge with all his soul, mind and strength.
She loved him as dearly, tenderly and af-
fectionately. They seemed made in heaven
for each other, though opposite in many
things. AS before remarked, she was acci-
dentally, innocently and honestly engaged
to A. Lincoln and Mr.. - at one and the
same time. 1t is said and thought that the
young lady was conditionally promised to
Mr.. Lincoln, to be consummated upon re-
lease from her first engagement with Mr..
-. The primary causes, facts and con-
dtions which led to this complication
shall be related to you at another time and
place. There is no dishonor in it to any of
the three. In her conflicts of honor, duty,
love, promises, and womanly engagements
-she was taken sick. She struggled, re-
GREETED, grieved, became nervous. She ate
not, slept not, was taken sick of brain fever,
became emacated, and was fast sinking in
the grave. Lincoln wished to see her.
She silently prayed to see him. The friends
of both parties at first refused the wish and
prayer OF both; still the wishes and pray
ers of both prevailed. Mr.. Lincoln did 90
to see her about the 10th day of August,
A. ID. 1885. The meeting was quite as
much as either could bear, and more than
Mr.. Lincoln, with all his GOODNESS and phi
losophy, could endure. The voice, the
features of her, the love, sympathy aud in
terview, fastened themselves on his heart
and soul forever. Heaven only knows what
was said by the two. God only knows what
was thought. DIR. Jason Duncan, of New
Salem, about September, A. d. 1888, had
shown and placed in Mr.. Lincoln's hands
the poem called, in short now, /" Immor-
tality," or properly, so, why should the
spirit Of mortal be proud?" Remember,
Miss Rutledge died on the 25th of August
A. d. 1885, and was buried in the Concord
Cemetery. six miles north, bearing
little west of New Salem, as stated before.
NJ. Lincoln has stated that his heart, sad
and broken, was buried there. He said in
addition, to the same friend, Il can not en-
dure the thought that the sleet and storm,
frost and snow of heaven, should beat on
her grave He never addressed another
woman, in my opinion, yours affectionate-
ly : and generally and Enthusiastically
abstained from the use of the word love-
That word can not be found more than a
halt dozen times, if that often, in all his
letters and speeches, since that time.
have seen some of his letters to otherladies,
but he never says love- He never ended
his letters with yours atfectionately,' but
signed his name, your friend, A. Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was by nature, more or
less, in tendency, distracted, had the power
of continuous concentrated thought 1t
may be, as alleged, that he was warm, ar
dent, and more or less impulsive man, be-
fore 1885, and of which l give no opinion.
He never did care for food-eating me-
chanically. He sOrrowed and grieved,
rambled over the hills and through the for
ests, day and night. He suffered and bore
it for awhile like great mana philoso-
pher. He slept not, he ate not, joyed not.
This he did until his body became emaciat-
ed and weak, and gave way. His mind
wandered from its throne. In his imagina-
tibn he muttered words to her he loved.
His mind, his reason somewhat dethroned,
walked out of itself along the uncolumned
air, and kissed and embraced the shadows
and illusions of the heated brain. Love, fu-
ture happiness, death, sorrow, grief and
pure and perfect despair the want of
sleep, the want OF food, a cracked and ach-
ing heart, over and intense thought, soon
worked q partial wreck of body and OF
mind. 1t has been said that Mr.. Lincoln
became and was totally insane at that time
aud place. This is not exactly the truth.
The dethronement of his reason was only
partial, and could alone be detected by his
closest friends and sharpest observers,
through the abruptness of his sentences,
and the sharp contrasts of his ideas and
E.s The friends of Mr.. .Lincoln-men,
women and children-begged him to quit
his home and place of business. They
coaxed and threatened him by turns in orr
der to get him to quit the places and scenes
of his sorrows and grieis. His women
friends tried their arts on him. Men begged
and held out strong inducements to 60 into
the country. The boys and girls of the
town and neighborhood, aided and assisted
the older people all they could. All tricks
were detected by the man the whole people
so dearly loved. Bolin Green, and some of
his and Lincoln's special friends, at last
tried their powers. They succeeded in
throwing Lincon off his guard by robbing
him of fhissuspicions. Mr.. Lincoln, In Sep
ltember, went down to Bolin Green's in con-