Mary Lincoln's Missing Memoir Update (From September 2017)

On February 12, 1909, The Oregon Daily Journal carried an article by William Reid.

The Oregon Daily Journal, February 12, 1909.

I found this article, which sheds more light on the situation. Some additional things of note: Mrs. Dr. Smith moved back to Springfield and died there not long after. Their son-in-law John Forsythe knew Robert Todd Lincoln. Yet it seems that at least some of the papers escaped destruction, as Reid still had them in the 1900s. It is possible that once he advertised them extensively between 1909 and 1914, Robert Todd Lincoln tracked them down, as he did with many things reflecting on his mother and destroyed them. Reid had financial troubles at the end of his life, so it is interesting he did not ever think to sell the papers (unless a collector has them somewhere). It also suggests that Mary went to Britain more often than believed, probably keeping it quiet because of her battle for a pension. Traveling could have made her look extravagant.

“Approaching as we are now doing the centennial; birthday of Abraham Lincoln, I feel as if our people in Oregon should know something more of his actions and of his family while in Europe hitherto unpublished.

Walking along the Strand of London on Saturday forenoon of April 15, 1865 . . . I was then a student at law and never expected to be of some literary service to his widow, and his son, or to meet them afterwards in Scotland, nor by their advice and that of Dr. James Smith Lincoln’s consul at Dundee, to be transplanted to the United States. But shortly after my admission at the end of 1867 by the supreme court as a law practitioner of Scotland was selected to fill the position of British commissioner at the United States consulate at Dundee, to there take the oaths of American shippers doing business with the United States, and although this . . . Only one hour’s attendant daily at the consulate taking such oaths, still as the expert business of Scot manufactured goods to the United States was exceedingly large, I came into business relations with American consuls and traders which eventually transferred me permanently to Oregon in 1874.

Dr Smith . . . was then writing the “Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln” at the request of Mrs. Lincoln, when she, with her son Teddy Lincoln — a strapping youth of 16, tall and in appearance and features greatly resembling his father, arrived at the Dundee consulate. Mrs. Lincoln, knowing that Smith at his advanced age — over 70 — was feeble in body, and that, though strong in mind he could not live long, asked me to assist him in his work, which I cheerfully volunteered to do without fee or reward.

Teddy Lincoln was placed at the Eton college in England, and Mrs. Lincoln went to Germany, but they both often visited the consulate. Between the intervals of these visits, as Dr. Smith could not furnish me with one details which occurred doing the war…I had to write her for many particulars, and in her desire to furnish me the same, the little woman wrote me letter after letter, giving me the explanations I asked. From these numerous letters and contents it was evident her whole heart and soul were devoted to the memory of President Lincoln, and seemed to live for but one object — to show to posterity Abraham Lincoln in his true character. Unfortunately Teddy Lincoln’s death followed in England, and so also in Scotland that of Dr. James Smith, the consul, whose family and wife, all southerners, distrusted Lincoln and his wife, although she was a southerner, too. Consequently before the doctor died, he appointed executor under his will, made in Dundee, his last request being for me to go to the United States and remain there.

Congress had not then granted Mrs. Lincoln any pension, yet she bore up nobly under all these afflictions with confidence in the Almighty’s saying, ‘His will be done.’ Before returning to America she presented me that book the Quakers of Philadelphia had given the president, “The Psalms of David,” upon which was engraved in gilt letters, “Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud.” She gave instructions that the gold cane Mr. Lincoln and presented to Dr. Smith should be given to John Bright…in remembrance of Mr. Bright’s advocacy in the British house of commons of Lincoln’s policy and faithfulness to the the northern states. Mr. Bright replied that he and his family assured me they appreciated this memento highly, since it linked him more closely to the martyred president.

What surprised me most was afterwards my appointment as United States vice consul at Dundee by Hamilton Fish, secretary of state, unsolicited on my part. This position I held until two months after my arrival in Oregon in 1874. No nobler woman ever lived than Nancy Todd Lincoln [sic], widow of the the president — a devoted wife, a loving mother and a true friend.

Before that early period, 1868 to 1872, when I met the American consuls in Great Britain, including General Badeau, consul general, nearly all had been in the northern army…appointed by Lincoln particularly for their faithfulness to the union, for the sympathy of people of Great Britain, except Dundee, was during the war greatly in favor of the south. We used to meet together and, especially when Mrs. Lincoln was in Europe, they used to recount their personal experiences of Abraham Lincoln, from which I gathered numerous anecdotes of the sterling integrity of the president. It is strange in that in all my interviews I never found one counsel whose sons, one or more, had not joined the Confederacy. In one instance the wife of one of these consuls, a southern born lady, had even christened the Confederate warship — the Alabama — at Glasgow when launched; but she never saw her husband again, who declined to live with her after.”

Additionally, in February 2017, there was an auction of some Mary Lincoln-related artifacts that had been given to Dr. Smith. The description noted that “The stationary envelope with handwritten note by Warner L. Underwood was written circa 1871 . . . the note reads: ‘The enclosed letter was written to the Revd James Smith D.D. by Mrs. Lincoln (widow of President Lincoln). Dr Smith was US Consul in Dundee, & I acted for him for some time. I have a Bible given to me after Dr Smith’s death by his widow which was given to him by Mrs. Lincoln & I think belonged to Presdt Lincoln.’”⁹

I am going to look in the James Smith papers but do not expect to find much. I already looked into the Underwood papers with no luck. It is possible there might be something in the Isaac Arnold papers, but he seems to have wanted to put out an angelic image of Lincoln and be approved by the men around him and therefore probably did not use the material Mary sent, if any went to him. Reid may have retained the letters, but not the work itself. When Mary referred to Reid being “left to himself,” she likely meant there had been no Confederate-sympathizing interference. It is unknown if the work escaped and went to Reid as it was apparently supposed to.