Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/462

 LINCOLN

LINDERMAN

Jan. 1, 184L His decision is said to have fol- lowed an overvvlielming period of mental depres- sion, but exaggerated accounts of this have been denied. That they were estranged for a time is undoubtedly true, also that she was the cause of the challenge to fight a duel received by Mr. Lincoln from James Shields. Mr. Lincoln pre- pared the preliminaries for the duel which was to take place on a sand-bar on the Missouri side of the river opposite Alton, 111., where he re- paired Sept. 22, 1842, and where friends arranged a peaceful solution of the difficulties. The en- gagement was soon afterward renewed, and they were married Nov. 4, 1842, at the home of Mrs. Edwards. They made their home in Springfield, where their three children, Robert Todd, William Wallace and Thomas were born. After Mr, Lincoln left congress he refused the governor- sliip of Oregon, as the acceptance would disturb the harmony of their home. As mistress of the White House Mrs. Lincoln was the subject of some criticism on account of her apparent fond- ness for social festivities during a period of national anxiety and sorrow, but her friends found ample excuse in her desire in this way to lighten the gloom that attended the official life of her husband. Her family was divided by the war and her closest blood relations were officers in the Confederate service, but there has never been a question as to her loyalty which was at- tested by lier personal visits to the camps and hospitals, where she carried comfort and cheer to the suffering. The tragic death of her sons William Wallace in 1862, and Thomas in 1868, caused her mind to become unbalanced, and lier last days were spent with her sister Mrs. Ed- wards, in travel in Europe, and at the home of her son Robert. She died of paralysis at the home of Mrs. Edwards, Springfield, 111., July 16, 1882.

LINCOLN, Robert Todd, cabinet officer, was born in Springfield, 111., Aug. 1, 1843; son of Abraham and Mary (Todd) Lincoln. He at- tended a local academy, 1850-o3; the Illinois State university, 1853-59, and Phillips Exeter academy, and was graduated from Harvard in 1864. He studied for a short time at the Harvard Law school; applied for admission in the mili- tary service and was commissioned captain, serv- ing on the staff of General Grant througliout the final campaign of the civil war. He resumed his law studies at Chicago, 111.; was admitted to the bar Feb. 16, 1867, and practised in Chicago. He was appointed supervisor in south Chicago in 1876; was a delegate to the Republican state con- vention held at Springfield in 1880, and was the same year chosen a presidential elector. He was appointed secretary of war in President Garfield's cabinet in 1881, and upon the assassination of the President and the accession of Vice-President

Arthur to the presidency, he was the only mem- ber of the cabinet that was retained. In 1884 he was prominently mentioned as nominee fur Pres- ident, but declined to oppose the nomination of President Arthur. On the expiration of Arthur's administration he returned to Chicago and con- tinued the practice of law. He was U.S. minister to Great Britain by appointment of President Harrison, 1889-93. Upon the death of George M. Pullman in 1897 he became acting president of the Pullman Palace Car company. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Har- vard in 1893.

LIND, John, governor of Minnesota, was born at Kanna, Smaland, Sweden, March 25, 1854; son of Gustave and Catherine (Jonason) Lind. He came with his parents to the United States in 1868, and settled at Goodhue, Minn. He taught school in Sibley county, Minn., 1872-73, and in the latter year removed to New Ulm, Brown county. He was a student at the State Univer- sity of Minnesota, 1875-76. and in the law office of J. Newhart, and in 1876 was admitted to the bar, settling in practice at New Ulm. He was married, Sept. 1, 1879, to Alice A., daughter of Richard and Rowena (Stratton) Shepard. He was receiver in the land office at Tracy, Lyon county, 1881-85; and a Republican representa- tive from the second Minnesota district in the 50th, 51st and 52d congresses, 1887-93. Being an advocate of the free coinage of silver he left the Republican party, and in 1896 was nominated by the Democi'ats for governor of the state. In 1898, on the outbreak of the war with Spain, he was appointed regimental-quartermaster of the 12th Minnesota volunteers, with the rank of 1st lieutenant. He was elected governor of the state on the Fusion ticket in 1898, serving, 1899-1901, and was defeated for reelection in 1900 by S. R. Van Sandt, by a narrow majority.

LlNDERflAN, Henry Richard, director of the U.S. mints, was born in Lehman township, Pike county. Pa., Dec. 25, 1825; son of Dr. John Jordan and Rachel (Brodhead) Linderman; and grandson of Henry Linderman of Orange county, N.Y., and of Richard Brodhead of Pike county. Pa. His first ancestors in America were Jacob von Linderman, who settled near Kings- ton, Ulster county, N.Y., in 1710, and Capt. Daniel Brodhead of the King's Grenadiers, who commanded a company in Colonel Nichols' ex- pedition to New Amsterdam in 1664, and settled at Esopus, N.Y. He was a great-grandnephew of Brev. Brig.-Gen. Daniel Brodhead, colonel of the 8th Pennsylvania, and of Capt. Luke Brodhead of the 6th Pennsylvania, and a great-grandson of Moses Shaw of the 5th New York regiment, all of the Continental line; a great-grandson of Garrett Brodhead of the New Jersey state troops