Milford chronicle., 1929-04-12
WHITE HOUSE BRIDE
DURING LINCOLN TERM
TELLS STORY
By Allene Sumner

Most people know that Abraham
Lincoln had something to do with
freeing the slaves. But few, if any
know about the little country girl
In the blue cashmere dress, and the
big country boy in the shiny alpaca
suit whom President Lincoln helped
marry in the White House, just be-
cause they thought "it'd be sorta
fine like to have a White House
wedding, and we didn't think Mr.
Lincoln'd mind much if we borrow
ed his house, as it was too big for
him to use all of it, anyway"
Mrs. Elizabeth Chandler, who'll be
81 next June 5, now living alone in
a couple of little rooms in Anderson,
Ind, is the White House bride of
Civil war days, whose husbands
best man was President Lincoln
himself.
White House brides have been
much in the limelight since the an
nouncement of John Coolidge's en-
gagement and the wonder, for time
of his fiancee, Florence Trumbull,
would choose to be married in the
White House. Historians delved
through crumblin yellowed old pa
pers to find the roster of White
House brides which almost can be
numbered on the fingers of the
hand. Nellie Grant, Alice Roosevelt,
the two Wilson girls, Frances Fol-
som, some nieces and cousins of var
ious other presidents, but no men
ton has ever been made of miss
Lizzie Sheets from down in Augusta
county, Virginy," who was married
to Henry Chandler, much hand
somer'n the president himself" in
the White House in August, 1861.
Fails to Thrill Her
This hitherto undiscovered White
House bride fails to see why there
should be any commotion about it,
even today. She sees nothing to get
excited over, but just an ordinary
event.
Mrs. Chandler imagines a steady
procession of young lovers going in
and out the big front door of the
White House to be married with the
president and first lady Standing up
with them" With her, being mar
ried in the White House was just a
part of getting married; as taken
for granted as the license and the
new blue cashmere dress.
But let Mrs. Chandler, who is
"NIis' Lizzie of Virginy," who was,
tell her own story. The story will be
more about Henry than President
Lincoln, but it's her story and she
tells it as she sees it.
Il was just a country girl when
1 met Henry, who was working on
a farm close by" she began.
"Well, he couldn't come courtin'
me cause my father wouldn't allow
boys around. But Niger Ike carried
letters for us though he knew my
father would break his black neck if
he caught him at it. You see, Henry
had come from Bowling Green, KY,
to work on a farm near us in Au-
gusta county. Well, we never saw
each other, but in about eight
months we wanted to get married.
The war was coming on and was
afraid that henry'd have to go.
$50 I made my blue cashmere
dress on the sly and took a few
things in little bag and met Henry
and we took the coach to Harper's
Ferry. When we got to Harper's
Ferry we found that soldiers were
all over the place. Nobody had any
time to be marryin' us, so we said
we thought we'd go on to Washing
: ton and be married in the White
House. 1 guess it was the driver who
gave us that idea. Anyway, he said
he'd take us to the presidents house
Arrive at White House
$50 we rode and rode all day,
My, it was fine! You see, this was
the first time I'd ever been away
from home. Well, it took a few
hours; horses went fast in those
days, and pretty soon we got near
Washington and we stopped at this
drivers house. He told his mother
we was going to be married ,and she
fixed my hair and was so nice to
me.
"Then he drove us up to the
White House. A porter or somebody
met us and he told him we'd come
to be married. He looked kinda fun
ny. and said for us to wait a min
ute.
$50 we waited, and when he came
hack President Lincoln was with
him.
'I don't remember so much about