Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed; Turnham, David. 'David Turnham (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=herndon120.html

— went to School to-gether — Hazel Dorsy & Andw Crawford — Dorzey Kept first, I think: he kept school near the Pigeon Meeting house — about 1 ¼ miles from Thos Lincolns and south or SE of his his. Crawford (Andw) taught school next: he taught about ¼ East of the Pigeon School Meeting house. Dorsey Keept School before the Marriage of Aaron Grigsby — So did Crawford — Crawford Kept soon after Dorsey — say the next year. Our School were Kept in the fall and winter, working in the Summer. Lincoln went to school to these 2 men about four winters — didn't go steady — I didn't go to school to Swany — Lincoln had a strong mind. I was older than he was by 6 years and further advanced — but he soon outstript me. We Studied lst in Dilworths Spelling book — 2d in Websters ^[2] — Lincoln Studied arithmetic — no geography — nor grammar — Lincoln read the life of Washington — the Pilgrims Progress Robinson Crusoe — the Bible — the new Testament — hymn Books — Watts hymns & Dupuy's. ^[3] — think that news papers as Early as 1828 — 30 — Saw Sarah Lincoln many times — she was a woman of ordinary size — Have seen Mordecai Lincoln — he came to Indiana on a visit about 1822 or 3 — he was the oldest brother — Sarah Lincoln had a good mind, but I did not Know her so well as I did Abe: She married Aaron Grigsby — . We had but few books at that time and our opportunities were poor —

Abe Lincoln was a moral boy — was temperate — Sometimes he took his dram as Every body did at that time: he was honest: he was an industrious boy — he didn't love physical work — wouldn't do it if was agreeable to all — always was reading, studying, & thinking — Taking all in all he was not a lazy man. Lincoln Sometimes hunted on Sundays — What Lincoln read he read and re-read — read & Studied thoroughly — . He was generally at the head of all his classes whilst at school — in fact was nearly always so — He loved fishing & hunted Some — not a great deal — He was naturally Cheerful and good natured while in Indiana: Abe was a long tall raw boned boy. — odd and gawky — He had hardly attained 6 ft-4 in when he left Indiana — weighed about 160 — I bought the hogs & corn of Thomas Lincoln when he was leaving for Ills — Bought about 100 and about 400 or 5 hundred bushes of corn — paid 10 c per bushel for the Corn — hogs lumped — Lincoln when a boy wore buckskin — for pants — wore Coon skin Caps — Sometimes fox Skin & possum Skin Caps — Buckskin was a Common dress at that time. When Lincoln was going about he read Everything that he could lay his hands on and it is more than probable that he read the Louisville Journal ^[4] as well as other papers before he left Indiana and as before remarked what he read he read well and thoroughly — Never forgetting what he read —

Mr. N. Grigsby — says he now remembers that L. read newspapers — That they were Introduced about the time Col Jones came to Gentryville ^[5] The Lincoln's

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