Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Matheny, James H. 'James H. Matheny (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=herndon470a.html

361. James H. Matheny (William H. Herndon Interview).

[1865 — 66]

Jas. H. Matheny

Says that about 1837 — 8 & 9 a parcel of young men in this City formed a Kind of Poetical Society — association or what not. Lincoln once or twice wrote Short Poems for the book None of the Poems are recllected in full. One verse of one, on Seduction by Lincoln, runs thus —

Whatever Spiteful fools may Say — . ^[1]
Each jealous, ranting yelper —
No woman ever played the whore
Unless She had a man to help her.

W. H. Herndon [2]
Newton Francis	}
Evan Butler	}	Some of the members
Noah Rickord	}
J. H. Matheny [3]	}

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2561; Huntington Library: LN2408, 2:211