The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-08-13
PRESIDENTIAL LOVES.

President Lincoln's first love was
golden-haired blonde, who had cherry
lips, clear blue eye, neat figure and
more than ordinary intellectual ability.
Her name was Anne Rutledge. She
was the daughter of tavern-keeper in
Salem, III. Mr.. Lincoln met her when
he was about twenty-three, and, after
a romantic courtship, became engaged
to her. She died before they could be
married; and Lincoln was so much af-
fected by her death that his biographer,
Ward Lemon, says his friends pro-
nOunced him crazy for a time. He was
watched carefully, and became especi-
ally violent during storms, fogs and
damp and gloomy weather. At such
times he would rave, declaring, among
other wild expressions: 81 can never
be reconciled to have the snow, rain
and storms to beat upon her grave.
At this time he began to quote. it is
said, the poem which is so well identi-
fed with him, beginning:
o, why should the spirit of mortal be proudf
1t is supposed that he was thinking
of his first love during the times he so
often repeated it. Years afterwards,
when he had become famous, he was
asked by an old friend as to the story
Of his love for Anne Rutledge, and he
said: Il loved her dearly. She was a
handsome girl, and would have made
good and loving wife,
LincOln's next love was q tall, fine
looking woman, named Mary Owens,
with whom he became acquainted
about year after Anne Rutledge died.
| Upon her rejection of him, he wrote
letter to his friend, Mrs. .. III. Brown
| ing, saying that he had been inveigled
into paying his addresses to Miss
| Owens, but on being refused he found
he cared more for her than he had
| thought, and proposed again. In this
| letter he says;
81 most emphatically in this instance
have made fool of myself l have
come to the conclusion never more to
think of marrying, and for this reason
that / can never be satisfied with any
one who would be fool enough to have
me-"
Still, it was not long after this that
he was engaged to Miss Mary Todd, a
well-edUcated, rosy brunette, of Lex
ingtOn, KY, who was visiting at
Springfield, where Lincoln was MEM
Der of the Illinois Legislature. Both
Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas pro-
posed to her. She refused Douglas
and accepted Lincoln. Lincoln became
suddenly i'll, and it was more than a
| year before the marriage was consum-
mated. 1t took place finally in Spring
field, and the couple began their mar
ried life by boarding at the Globe
Hotel at four dollars per week. Lin
coin was thirty years old at this
time and Mary Todd was twenty-one.
A number of Presidents have been in
love more than once, and several have
suffered the pangs of love unrequited.
Washington Irving says that General
Washington had serious passion at
fifteen for some unknown beauty which
made him really unhappy for a time.
The son of President Tyler, who is dis
family related to the Washington fam
lily, tells me that the General tried to
win the daughter of Colonel Cary, of
DENLY, Warwick County, Va. Colo
mel Cary was very wealthy, and Wash
ingtOn, who paid attention to none but
prospective heiresses, was much at
tracted by one of his daughters. He
was poor Major then, and he rode on
horseback to Warwick County, and
called upon Colonel Cary. Cary, a
stiff old gentleman with a ruff1ed shirt
and much dignity, asked Major Wash
ington, as he alighted from his horse:
''A1ay inquire, sir, what has caused
you to honor me with a visit at this
timer"
Major Washington blushingly re-
piled that he had come to ask permits
sion to pay his addresses to Miss Cary
with view to marrying her.
"Well, sir" responded the stately
Colonel, 81 would have you understand
that my daughter rides in her own car
! -, q 4Io&
may as well mount your horse, sir, and
return"
Miss Cary afterwards married a man
named Amber, member of one of the
noted families of Virginia She was
present at the celebration which took
after the surrender at Yorktown, and
it is said that when she saw Washing
ton SO highly honored she tainted away
in the realization of the great mistake
she had made in not marrying him.
A year or two after this, when
Washington had become a Colonel al
twenty-three years of age, he fell in
love with Mary Phillips, rich New
York heiress, at whose house he spent
a week. The authorities are divided as
to whether he proposed to her or not.
All, concede, however, that he was
sighted and went away very angry,
/ anu II Is CldIgCu GudG lie CdET1Su dis
anger to the extent of aiding in the
confscation of the Phillips estate after
the revolution had become q success
and his love had married his rival.
John Adams love affairs were nu-
merous. In 1854, the year in which he
was married, he writes in his diary:
81 was of an amorous disposition,
and very early, from ten to eleven
years of age, was very fond of the so
ciety of females. / shall draw no
characters nor give any enumeration OF
my youthful flames. It would be con-
sidered no compliment to the dead OF
the living. This 1 will say: they were
all modest and virtuous girls, and
always maintained their character
through life. No virgin or matron
ever had cause to blush at the sight Of
or regret her acquaintance with me
These reflections, to me consolatory
beyond expression, I am able to make
with truth and sincerity, and I pre-,
sumo am indebted for this blessing tc
my education.
Jefferson's first love occurred wher
he, a youth of nineteen years, wa,
going to college at Williamsburg. His
inamorata was Rebecca Burwell, anC
his letters of this date are full of hel
and his love. He devotes many page.
to his grief over losing a watch-papel
which she had cut for him, and Christ
mas-Day, 1862, he wrote letter abou
his sweetheart to his friend John Page
which would have filled, says Parton
twelve modern sheets of letter paper
He was continually comparing her t.
the loves of the poets, and copies o.
love songs written by Jefferson at this
time are still in existence. He sighed
L L. L Al
iect of marriage in a stammering way
at a ball Miss Burwell did not giVt