Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-23

Fields and gardens were planted and all went
we'll with them until 1888, when the father, work
ing one day with his boys in the clearing, was
killed by an Indian. His powder horn, with his
name carved upon it, also a device of an eagle
with serpent in its taons, found upon his body
after he was killed, has been presented to the
Lincoln Memorial Society of Kentucky.
This terrible tragedy so preyed upon the mind of
his devoted wife that she did not long survive
His son, Mordecai the eldest son, according 10 the
laws of primo geniture then recognized lnherlteu
the bulk of the property, the various land grants
and became useful and influential citizen OF that
region. Sheriff of Washington county and mem
Der of the Legislature. In his old age ne moved
to Illinois, following younger brother, Joslan
who had moved out West.
Thomas Lincoln, only twelve years old at the
death of his father, has hardly been fairly dealt
with by the historians. There is no record OF MS
brothers having lent him helping hand.
without schooling he was thrust out to earn MS
living at whatever rough work his hands found to
do, and in the meantime managed to learn trade
becoming fairly good carpenter in the shop OF MS
cousin, Joseph Hanks.
Besides his living he earned enough money to
buy little farm in Hardin county before he
twenty-five years old. 1t was not lack of ambi-
ton therefore has been generally said-but
stern necessity, which prevented him from keeping
abreast with his brothers. In his early years. cut
adrift, he learned all of the lessons taught by pri
walton and poverty, hard taskmasters.
1t is said of him that he quiet and reserved
but also very determined in his opinions and ever
ready to defend them. This made him unpopular
no doubt, with his neighbors; and later on was the
reason of his seeming shiftlessness and the chief
factor, perhaps in his final removal from the state
Coming as he did from strict old Puritan stock,
he was a firm believer in the doctrine of equal
rights-an "abolitionist," they called in
those days,-and being ever ready to give a reason
for the faith that in him, he avoided, and
as time moved there could scarce be found one
to say good word for him. Even the girl, Sallie
Bush who first kinded the spark of love in his
heart, dismissed him with scorn, it is said.
However this may be, he met the fate appointed
him to share in the working out the destiny of
a great nation when he married in 1906, his cousin
Nancy Hanks.
This marriage took place in Washington Co..
Kentucky, where she residing with her aunt
Mrs Richard Berry, having lost both of her par
ents soon after their emigation from Virginia.
The finding of the marriage bond of Thomas
Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, signed by her uncle
Richard Berry, also the certificate of their mar
riage by Elder Jesse Mead, D. M. E. E.. in the
records of the clerks Office of the Washington
county court has lifted forever the cloud of I'M
certainty concerning their marriage which may be
found in many of the early histories of President
Lincoln.
Late researches have brought to light many old
deeds, the will of Joseph Hanks and the ancestry
of both the Lincoln and Hanks families.
Hon. John w. Lewis, formerly Congressman from
the eighth district of Kentucky, says in treatise
on the life of Abraham Lincoln: ut is known and
established as a fact that the parents of the mar
tyred President moved from this county wash
ington) to what was then Hardin county. and is
now Larue. Many persons presumed that the mar
rage occurred in Hardin county, II at ALL and the
records of the Hardin County Court were searched
for the record, of course without finding it, Mr..
Samuel Haycraft, who lived to a venerable old age
largely over eighty years when he died, and for
many years clerk of the Hardin County Court,
told the author of this that President Lincoln had
written to him during his first term asking to
make and send him certified copy of the mar
riage record of his parents and that he made
. Of tic nff1a ond