Existing comment:
The Ann Rutledge Story:
Ann Rutledge was the daughter of James Rutledge, a founder of New Salem who operated the village tavern or inn for a time. Several New Salem residents later told the story that Lincoln had fallen in love with Ann. Some said that he courted her and the couple actually became engaged. It was also said that when she died on August 25, 1835, Lincoln was grief stricken to the point of becoming temporarily mentally deranged.
Modern historians quarrel over the truth of the Abe-loved-Ann story. Skeptics point out that there is not one shred of written evidence in Lincoln's hand to support the story. They also argue that the Rutledge family and many aging residents of New Salem may have waited to enhance their own importance by embellishing the relationship between one of their own and the future president. Believers have argued that there are many recollections of the romance and that the stories of old settlers are fairly consistent. |