The Tragic Death Of Abraham Lincoln’s Son William: What happened to Lincoln’s son Willie? – Abraham legacy as the 16th president lives on even though he was assassinated over 150 years ago (via Biography).
According to the Smithsonian, Lincoln is remembered for his efforts to keep the union together and eventually abolish slavery. Lincoln was a family man, which is perhaps less well known. In 1842, he married Mary Todd Lincoln, according to history.
The couple had met two years prior and had a brief breakup before marrying. The couple quickly settled down and began their family. According to Ford’s Theatre, their first son, Robert, was born in 1843. Edward was born in 1846, William (also known as Willie) in 1850, and Thomas (also known as Tad) in 1853.
William C. Kashatus writes that as a father, Lincoln was the complete opposite of his own father, who had physically and emotionally abused him. He believed that children should be “free, happy, and unrestrained by parental tyranny.” Lincoln doted on his children and allowed them to freely play inside the White House. All That’s Interesting states that Willie was Lincoln’s favorite son. He was born months after the death of brother Edward, the then 3-year-old child of the Lincolns who had contracted tuberculosis. It would be Willie’s death, however, that would ultimately break the Lincolns.
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THE LINCOLNS NEVER RECOVERED FROM WILLIE’S DEATH
According to All That’s Interesting, William’s good-hearted nature strongly resembled his father’s. He was said to be intelligent, thoughtful, and loved to learn and help others. Per William C. Kashatus, the boy often cheered Abraham Lincoln when he was down. Willie and younger brother Tad were also known to cause trouble inside the White House with their pranks and games. That changed when the boys fell ill after getting typhoid from contaminated water (via Mr. Lincoln’s White House). Although his parents tried their best to nurse him back to health, Willie continued to deteriorate and died at the age of 11 on February 20, 1862. Of his death, Lincoln stated, “My poor boy. He was too good for this earth. God has called him home.”
According to The Washington Post, a former slave who became seamstress to Mary Todd Lincoln described the president as being “unnerved” by his grief. As for Mary, she was said to be beside herself and became increasingly distant. She locked herself in her room for weeks and did not attend Willie’s funeral on February 24. Tad eventually recovered and became incredibly close to his father. He would later die at age 18 (per Ford’s Theatre). Robert would be the only son to survive childhood and outlive his parents. After Lincoln’s assassination, Willie’s body was exhumed from Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., to be buried with his father in Illinois.
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