Comments on: “And Starring Sally Field as the Fragile Mary Lincoln” http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/ Wed, 08 May 2013 04:40:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: Gary Brussell http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-3186 Gary Brussell Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:23:16 +0000 http://www.alplm.org/blog/?p=740#comment-3186 There are some excellent facts and observations about Mary Todd Lincoln in the 2010 publication, My Thoughts Be Bloody, by Nora Titone. Nora Titone is a historian; the foreward is by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Mrs. Lincoln’s unpredictable and peculiar public behavior is noted, “her easily wounded temper and unrestrained outbursts…upsetting for everyone.” (p.342.) “…her paranoid outbursts during her recent visit with President Lincoln to City Point. Seeming to find insults and slights leveled at her from every side…Mrs. Lincoln had stormed till she was tired.” (p.351-352.) The love of theatre by President and Mrs. Lincoln is covered in pages 353-358, especially fascinating is her fondness for the particular love scenes in Act 2 of the ill-fated play, Our American Cousin, which they attended not only on April 14, 1865, but also the year before. Both President Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln were strong supporters of the arts and of theatre in particular. Our American Cousin reminded Mary Todd Lincoln of the courtship between the country lawyer and herself, the belle of Springfield, Illinois, society. It moved her greatly, even on that last fateful evening. Detailed in pages 361-364, is Mrs. Lincoln’s griefstricken reaction, after her husband has been shot. It is clear to me, now, after some research, that Mary Todd Lincoln was a complex, exceptional, as well as, of course, troubled woman, in the center of our country’s perhaps greatest drama.

]]> By: Kathy Aho in MN http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-2917 Kathy Aho in MN Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:48:12 +0000 http://www.alplm.org/blog/?p=740#comment-2917 Is is possible to get a photocopy or readable jpg copy of the Agens letter? My son in law is descended from a James Agens who fought in the CIvil War and I would like to investigate if it is the same man. Thanks!!
kathy

]]> By: David Blanchette http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-2913 David Blanchette Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:05:48 +0000 http://www.alplm.org/blog/?p=740#comment-2913 Lisa,

Thank you for your question!

We asked Dr. James Cornelius your question and here was his response: “There is one known letter by Mary, written for a soldier named James Agen on 10 Aug. 1864 from Camp Campbell, near the Soldiers’ Home; to his mother, ‘Mrs. Agen.’ We have a copy of it here, but the original has not been located as far as we know. It was published in the Chicago _Times Herald_ in 1897. There are several other stories about her visits to the hospitals, usually bringing flowers or fresh fruit to the men. She went with Mary Jane Welles, wife of Gideon Welles, most often, but also with various other women.”

]]> By: Lisa Shawn Hogan http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-2910 Lisa Shawn Hogan Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:05:11 +0000 http://www.alplm.org/blog/?p=740#comment-2910 Do any of these letters with Mary’s signature (to families of soldiers) exist? Thanks for the balanced portrait of Mary Lincoln. I just visited the Henry Clay Estate and the Mary Lincoln House in Lexington and felt that those tours presented the first “balanced” account of Mary that I had yet encountered.

]]> By: Pam Brown http://www.alplm.org/blog/2011/06/%e2%80%9cand-starring-sally-field-as-the-fragile-mary-lincoln%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-2890 Pam Brown Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:31:58 +0000 http://www.alplm.org/blog/?p=740#comment-2890 I personally think he should have asked me! Ms. Field will be amazing!

]]>