Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Herndon, Anna Miles. 'Anna Miles Herndon (William H. Herndon Interview)' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: interview]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon640a.html

526. Anna Miles Herndon (William H. Herndon Interview) ^[1].

[September 13, 1887]

My wife's mother, step mother, was a Rickard and my wife says — on further Examination that she understood her mother to Say Susan, but that it may have been Sarah: She says that she has heard Mrs Butler — a Rickard as well as her step mother a Rickard say that Lincoln did Court Sarah and that She would not have him — Lincoln. Sarah married badly and Mrs Butler & my wifes mother both, Rickards have often Said — both of them Rickards & now dead, that Sarah ought to have taken Lincoln as she did so badly with Barrett. (I guess there is no doubt of all this H) Lightfoot's Evidence I read to my wife and that suggested to her the whole story. I then referred her to the word Sarah and Speeds letter to me. She now says that she guesses that it was Sarah. — probably not Susan. She Says see Miss Butler and write to Mrs Barrett all of which I shall do. My wife further Says that the question formerly put to her was a special one — namely the one about Susan, She supposing that I well Knew Lincoln's courtship for Sarah or that she would have told it as She understood it.

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 3417