While living in New Salem, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln became friends with the James Rutledge family and boarded at the family's tavern. While there he fell deeply in love with their daughter Anne. She, notwithstanding her engagement to John McNamar, was no less in love with Lincoln. At the time of her sudden death from typhoid in 1835, Anne was caught between her engagement to McNamar and her growing fondness for Lincoln. McNamar had abruptly left New Salem in 1832 to visit his parents in New York only to return to New Salem in the fall of 1835 shortly after Anne's death.
Mr. Lincoln was grievously affected by Anne's death and a deep gloom and melancholy displaced his infectious cheerful exuberance. He would often express the sentiment that he had buried his heart in the grave with "that dear girl." He reportedly would go often to her graveside and read from a small pocket testament he carried with him. After his election to the presidency and before leaving Springfield, Lincoln confessed his love for Anne Rutledge, admitting that she was a ”handsome girl" and would have made a "good, loving wife."
The Rutledge relationship is one of the major controversies among Lincoln scholars, although Anne's own brother, Robert, testified that "Mr. Lincoln paid his addresses to Anne, continued his visits and attentions regularly and those resulted in an engagement to marry, conditional to an honorable release from the contract with Mr. McNamar." This was much to the displeasure of Mary Todd Lincoln. And because William G. Herndon, Mr. Lincoln's law partner, uncovered and was instrumental in publicizing many of the details, Mrs. Lincoln felt betrayed and maligned by the inference that Anne Rutledge was Mr. Lincoln's first and only true love.
Today's radio drama, "Valentine" from February 13, 1949, deals with that early Lincoln-Rutledge relationship. It is taken from the widely acclaimed old time radio program "Quiet, Please" which first aired on June 8, 1947, over the Mutual Broadcasting System and was written and directed by celebrated author Wyllis Cooper.
To read a scholarly article on the same subject go to the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association.
Episode 087 from February 13, 1949
(Click to Play)
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