Edward Baker Lincoln facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Baker Lincoln
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Eddie Lincoln, age 3
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Edward Baker Lincoln
March 10, 1846 Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | February 1, 1850 (aged 3) Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hutchinson's Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois (originally) Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery |
| Other names | Eddie |
| Parent(s) | Abraham Lincoln Mary Todd |
| Relatives | See Lincoln family tree, Robert Todd Lincoln (brother) |
Edward Baker Lincoln (March 10, 1846 – February 1, 1850) was the second son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. He was named after a close friend of his father, Edward Dickinson Baker. His parents often called him "Eddy." However, his nickname is also spelled "Eddie" on his tomb.
Eddie Lincoln's Early Life
Eddie Lincoln was born on March 10, 1846. His birthplace was the Lincoln Home in Springfield, Illinois. We don't know much about his short life. But one sweet story shows his kind heart.
One day, Eddie's older brother, Robert, found a kitten. He brought it to their grandmother's home in Lexington, Kentucky. Mary Lincoln wrote to her husband about what happened. She said Eddie's "tenderness, broke forth" when he saw the kitten. He made sure it had water and fed it bread with his own hands. He was a very happy little boy with the kitten.
However, Mary's stepmother did not like cats. She told them to throw the kitten out. Mary wrote that "Ed screaming & protesting loudly against the proceeding." He cried for a long time, but his grandmother did not change her mind.
Abraham Lincoln also wrote about Eddie in a letter in 1848. He copied how two-year-old Eddie would say his father went to the Capitol. Eddie would say, "Dear Eddy thinks father is 'gone tapila.'" Lincoln also looked for plaid stockings for "Eddy's dear little feet." He was sad he couldn't find any. He ended his letter by asking, "Dont [sic] let the blessed fellows forget father…."
The Sad Loss of Eddie
Eddie died about a month before his fourth birthday. Records from that time say he died from "chronic consumption." This was a common term for tuberculosis. Most researchers today believe tuberculosis caused his death.
There is another idea about what caused his death. Some people think he might have died from a type of cancer. This theory is based on some health issues seen in Abraham Lincoln and two of Eddie's brothers. However, most experts still believe tuberculosis was the cause.
Abraham Lincoln wrote about Eddie's death to his stepbrother. He said Eddie was "sick fifty-two days." He also wrote, "We miss him very much."
Eddie's funeral was held at the Lincoln family home. The pastor from the First Presbyterian Church led the service. Eddie was first buried at Hutchinson's Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Both his parents were very sad. A week after he died, a poem called "Little Eddie" was printed in the Illinois Daily Journal.
For a long time, no one knew who wrote the poem. Some thought Abraham or Mary wrote it. But in 2012, an article said it was written by a young poet from St. Louis. The last line of the poem is on Eddie's first gravestone. This gravestone is now in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.
Abraham and Mary had another child, Willie Lincoln, ten months after Eddie's death. After Abraham Lincoln was killed, Eddie's remains were moved. They were placed in the Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.
See also
In Spanish: Edward Baker Lincoln para niños
