River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-02-12
Abraham LinCOIn'S
Autobiography

A year before his election to the
presidency and about the time his
friends were thinking seriously Of
his nomination, Lincoln wrote a
brief autobiography in the form of
letter to his friend, Jesse w. Fell.
Of Bloomington, Illinois, under date
of December 20, 1859.
Because of its style, as well as Of
its contents, we reprint what he
himself said of himself and Of his
family history.
Il was born, February y, 1902 in
Hardin County, Kentucky. My par
ents were both born in Virginia, Of
undistinguished families - second
families, perhaps, l should say. NY
mother, who died in my tenth year.
was of a family of the name of
Hanks, some of whom now reside in
Adams and others in Macon County,
Illinois. My paternal grandfather,
Abraham Lincoln, emigrated from
Rockingham County, Virginia. to
Kentucky, about 1881 or 1882, where,
a year or two later, he was killed by
Indians, not in battle, but by stealth,
when he was laboring to open farm
in the forest. His ancestors, who
were Quakers, went to Virginia from
Berks County, Pennsylvania. An eff
fort to identify them with the New
England family Of the same name
ended in nothing more than simil-
arity of Christian names of both
families, such as Enoch, Levi, Nor
decia, solomon, Abraham, and the
like.
/ My father, at the death Of his
father, was but six years Of age, and
he grew up literally without. e1uca.
ton He removed from Kentucky to
what is now Spencer County, Indiana.
in my eighth year. We reached our
/ new home about the time the State
came into the Union (1816). 1t was
a wild region, with many bears and
/ other wild animals still in the woods
There / grew up. There We're some
schools, so called, but no oualiica-
ton was ever required of teacher
beyond 'readin'; 'writin' and
'cipherin' to the Rule of Three. If
a straggler, supposed to understand
Latin, happened to sojourn in the
neighborhood, he was looked upon as
wizard There was absolutely
nothing to excite ambition for educa-
ton OF course, when l came of age,
did not know much. Still, however.
| could read, write, and cipher to the
Rule Of Three, but that was all. I
have not been to school since The
little advance l now have upon this
store of education l have picked up
from time to time under the pressure
Of necessity
Il was raised to Framework, which
/ continued until | was twenty-five
At twenty-one / came to Illinois and
passed the first year in Macon
County Then / got to New Salem,
at that time in Sangamon, now, in
! Menard County, where l remained a
year as a sort of clerk in store
Then came the Black Hawk war, and
l was elected captain of volunteers
"a success which gave me more
pleasure than any / have had since.
went through the campaign, was
elated, ran for the Legislature in the
same year (1832) and was beaten
the only time have ever been beaten
by the people. The next, and three
succeeding biennial elections, was
elected to the Legislature. was
not a candidate afterwards. During
this Legislative period, | studied law
and removed to Springfield to prac-
tice it. In 1876, l was once elected to
the lower House of Congress, but was
not a candidate for reelection. From
1849 to 1854, both inclusive, practiced
law more assiduously than ever be-
fore. Always a Wing in politics, and
generally on the Wing electoral
ticket, making active canvasses. 1
was losing interest in politics when
the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise aroused me again. What /
have done since then is pretty well
known.
"If any personal description Of me
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