A Much Maligned First Lady
by Martha Rogers
The years she
served as hostess to White House functions were known as “The Tragic Years”
because of the Civil War. Poor Mary had three strikes against her because of
Harriet Lane, Buchanan’s niece who served as hostess during his years as
President.
In contrast to
Harriet’s blonde beauty and social skills, Mary Todd came across as short,
dumpy, and plain. Based on her background from the Midwestern prairies, Social
Washington assumed Mary would have a lot to learn. The harder Mary tired, the
more Washington society resisted her.
However Mary was
not your typical prairie wife. She came from a respected Kentucky family, and
in normal times might have been a happier hostess. She was well-qualified to
serve as hostess with all the Southern hospitality with which she had been
raised.
Below is a picture of her home in Kentucky.
These were not
normal times with storm clouds of impending war hanging over Washington. Many
southerners living in Washington of course had sympathies with the South and
closed their houses to return to their Southern roots.
Mary Todd Lincoln
fought an uphill battle to prove that she had the taste and style expected of a
First Lady. She often went to extravagant lengths to establish her gentility to
skeptics. She spent large sums of money on clothing to impress Washington
society.
Just as she became
more accepted and successful, her son Willie died in 1862. From then on,
everything she did was misunderstood, and in the public’s eyes, she could do no
right.
To the left is a China doll made in her image sometime later.
Because of her
southern roots, rumors ran rampant that she was actually a Confederate spy. The
talk became so vicious that Lincoln himself had to address an investigating
committee and assure them of her loyalty to the Union cause.
Her response to the
charges gave insight to her bitterness toward the Confederates. “Why should I
sympathize with the rebels? They would hang my husband tomorrow if it was in their
power.”
Hints of treason
were only one of the many crosses she had to bear as First Lady. A
semi-breakdown followed the death of her son. Then when she witnessed her
husband’s assassination, her grip on sanity loosened even more and gave way
completely a while later.
Mary Todd Lincoln,
in the face of constant criticism, bravely tried to carry on the official
functions of the White House.
Of all the actresses who have played the part of Mary Todd in many movies, Sally Field came closest to looking more like the First Lady. Her make-up and the costumes gave her a very close resemblance to Mary Todd.
So much more has been written about Mary Todd Lincoln and most of is a sad account of her days after the White House when she had an abject fear of poverty and began losing her sanity to the point that her son had her committed to an asylum in May of 1875. Mary Lincoln was released into the custody of her sister in Springfield in 1876. Mrs. Lincoln spent the next four years traveling throughout Europe then returned home to live with her sister after a fall which left Mary with a spinal cord injury that confined her to the house. Her death came on July 16, 1882 at the age of 63. She is buried in the Lincoln Tomb in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield next to her husband.
It's Go Texan! time here in Houston.
Martha Rogers is a free-lance
writer and was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers
Conference in 2009 and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her
husband Rex live in Houston where they enjoy spending time with their
grandchildren. A former English and Home
Economics teacher, Martha loves to cook and experimenting with recipes and
loves scrapbooking when she has time. She has written three series, Winds Across the Prairie and Seasons of the Heart and The Homeward
Journey. Book three in that series, Love
Never Fails, released in November, 2014.
Learn more about Martha www.marthwrogers.com
Manfred and Sally’s daughter
Molly Logan finishes school and returns to her home to teach school. She has
new and innovative ideas that are accepted only because people have known Molly
since she was a child. When old friends of her parents come for a visit, with
their son, Stefan Elliot, Molly is attracted to the young man, but all he is
interested in is talking about his position in the army and how he’s home on
furlough because of an injury. Their beliefs about war and the military have
them at odds with one another. When he leaves to rejoin his regiment, Molly is
both relieved and saddened. When her grandmother falls ill and passes away,
Molly returns to Louisiana with her family. While there she meets Stefan again
who has returned home because of a disfiguring injury in a battle. With the
help of her father and uncle, Stefan is persuaded to come back to Stoney Creek
and work on the ranch for her uncle, Micah Gordon. Once they return, it is up
to Molly to bring him back from depression to depend on God and find love knows
no limitations.
In researching my Civil War novel, His Steadfast Love, I gained a new appreciation for Abraham Lincoln, and for his family. They served our country under such difficult circumstances. There's no doubt in my mind that President Lincoln was God's appointed servant in the White House. He was willing to stand firm for the reunification of the United States under severe criticism. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteI have read about Mrs. Lincoln by reading Jennifer Chiaverini's books Mrs. lincoln's Dressmaker and Mrs. Lincoln's Rival. Mrs. Lincoln seemed to be a very troubled lady. Wonder how Lincoln was able to be such an effective President with such a troubled wife. Sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI wondered the same as he had to take time to defend her so often to appease her critics.
DeleteWow, I never knew how hard the public was on poor Mary. Very interesting post, Martha.
ReplyDeleteAmber Schamel
I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her to lose a son in a place where she was maligned and disliked, let alone with a husband in the impossible position of guiding a nation through a devastating war. Your post reminds me that I want to learn more about Mrs. Lincoln. Her story has always intrigued me, but I've never done anything about it. Maybe a summer reading project ....
ReplyDeleteMakes for a very tragic story of a woman brought up in Southern ways thrust into the role of hostess in a hostile environment and then to lose so many loved ones. I believe two other sons also died.
DeleteHow tragic! We can hope she found more peace living with her sister in her later years.
ReplyDeleteHow tragic! We can hope she found more peace living with her sister in her later years.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha! It's such a shame that people can be so hurtful and unaccepting of ones they don't understand or don't live up to their own standards of perfection and beauty. I've never read anything about Mrs Lincoln and you've definitely piqued my interest!
ReplyDeleteHi Martha! It's such a shame that people can be so hurtful and unaccepting of ones they don't understand or don't live up to their own standards of perfection and beauty. I've never read anything about Mrs Lincoln and you've definitely piqued my interest!
ReplyDelete