The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-01-15
THE LITTLE SISTER OF
LINCOLN'S SWEETHEART
Young at SO California
Woman Denies Ann Rut-
ledge Died of Broken
Heart Over BetrOthal.
By DIR. WILLIAM 4. BARTON
Greatest Authority OH Abraham Lincoln

LOMPOC, Cal-Confined to her bed
by broken hip, but otherwise bearing
the weight of her SO years. the one
surviving sister Of Ann Rutledge sat
propped up among her pillows and
talked to me about the youthful love
of her sister and Abraham Lincoln.
Her mind still is perfectly clear. She
told me of life in New Salem when
Lincoln, raw-boned young fellow of
one.and.twenty, came into town on his
flatboat.
She told how the boat became stuck
on the dam at Rutledge's mill, how
Lincoln moved about in the wet and
finally got the boat over the DAM how
he came ashore and liked New Salem
so much he returned and made it his
home.
She talked to me freely and wrote
it down as she talked. Then l read
her what | had written and she signed
it without glasses. Sarah Rutledge
Saunders is young at 93
From my knowledge / can add
little 10 what already has been told, ="
she said "and much Of that is mac
curate. including some statements at
tributed to me.
Il have read an extended newspaper
account of AIMS funeral in which /
am reported to have said that sat
in Lincoln's lap during the funeral
and that he sobbed and his frame
shook with grief. As a matter of fact
/ | have no recollection of the funeral.
But il ! did not set in Lincoln's
/ lap at the funeral | sat there many
other times. l was the baby Of the
| family and he was kind to the baby.
II was born in the Rutledge Tavern
| in New Salem, October 80, 1929, the
! youngest child of James Rutledge ana
Ann Miller Rutledge l am the only
child of the family now surviving. I
was not quite six years old when Ann
died, August %, 1895.
Il have little personal knowledge of
the love affair of Lincoln and my
sister. But I have heard much of II
from my older sister, Nancy Prewitt,
and from my mother, who spent her
last years with Nan. can see sister
Ann as she sat sewing from day 10
day, for she was the seamstress of
the family, while the other girls, Nan.
cy and Margaret, aided mother in
the general housework and care OF
the tavern.
She taught me to sew, and I re.
membered her patience with me as
well as her industry and kindness.
All Liked Lincoln
Lincoln was big. tall, kihi.heart.
ed boarder and we all liked him. He
could not sing very well, but liked
some songs very well. We had, and
my nephew still has, copy of the
old Missouri Harmony There was Q
song in it called Legacy which al
ways excited Lincoln's mirth.
He was friendly with all of us girl.
and while l knew that he cared es
pecially for Ann had to interpret
what saw and knew OF their re
lations in the light Of what my moth
er and my sistef, Nan. later told me
"One thing that has been told !.
wrong and ] should like TO correct It
That is that Ann died of a broker
heart, or that she was torn between
her affection for Abraham Lincoln ant
the love she is alleged to have plighte,
previously 10 John McNamar.
There is not word of truth in Il
Whatever affection Ann ever had fo
McNamar and that may have beer
less than has been represented, ende,