The third child of Mary and Abraham Lincoln, Willie, was born on December 21, 1850, in the family home in Springfield. He was named for his Uncle William
Wallace, who married Mary Todd Lincoln's sister Frances. Willie was described as being amiable, cheerful, mature for his age, and the son who was the most
popular with his playmates. His mother said that Willie "was a very beautiful boy, with a most spiritual expression of face." However, the use of the word "spiritual"
here does not mean that he was not ready to join his younger brother Tad in pranks and mischief whenever the occasion presented itself.
Willie died in the White House on February 20, 1862, at the age of 11, while his father was President. His death was a devastating blow to his parents, and it cast a
dark shadow over the remaining years of Lincoln's Presidency, already made tragic by the Civil War.
© 1997 michaeldonovan@hotmail.com
Get your own Free Home Page