Existing comment:
Mary's Confidants:
Mary -- the daughter of Kentucky slave owners -- has as her closest friend in Washington a former slave and dressmaker named Elizabeth Keckly. At various times Elizabeth served as lady's maid, nurse, confidante, and grief counselor. Following the death of Willie, Keckly encouraged the First Lady to turn to spiritualists for help in communicating with her dead child.
Mary consulted with Washington's leading medium, Nettie Colburn Maynard. Several seances were held in the White House, others too place at the Georgetown home of a friend. Eventually Mary came to believe, as she told her half sister Emilie Helm, "William lives. He comes to me every night and stands at the foot of the bed with the same sweet adorable smile he always has had."
Mary's half sister Emilie was married to Confederate General Benjamin Helm. When he died of wounds received at the battle of Chickamauga in 1863, the Lincolns grieved. Nevertheless, the widowed Emilie was forced to take an oath of loyalty to the Union before she was allowed to visit Mary, following Benjamin's death. |