Lincoln's Ghost

By Crusader1307

  Even The Capital of The United States is not immune from hauntings and Ghost stories. Several former US Presidents have been said to have been seen from time to time. However, the most famous long term "Visitor" us none other than the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln! Reported to have started being "seen" by President, Family and Visitors alike from 1866 through the 1980s, Lincoln has even been photographed MANY times. It is no stretch of the imagination to imagine why he is bound to Earth. Lincoln presided as President through one of the most trying times in American history, that of it's Civil War. Lincoln personally gave the orders which sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to their early deaths. To make matters worse, Lincoln suffered personal tragedy in The White House as well. His youngest Son, Tad (aged 11), died of fever there as did his older Son Robert (an Army Officer killed in an explosion during the testing of new ordnance). Much saddened, it was Lincoln's wife Mary Todd - who paraded an endless line of so called Psychic's and Mediums through The White House in an attempt to "contact" her Sons.

Lincoln was assassinated in Office a scant week after the declared end of The War Between The States. His body laid in State in both The White House and Capital Rotunda.This begins the tale. From 1866 on, he has been seen walking The White House late at night as well as "staring" out The South Window of The Presidents Oval Office. Lincoln was said to have lost much sleep during The War and was constantly heard pacing the floors all night at times. He also would stare for hours out The South Window - in the direction of the wayward South, then in Rebellion. In 1869, Mary Todd (by now a recluse who refused to believe her husband was dead and "spoke" with him regularly), commissioned Photographer William Mumler to take a portrait of her. Still using the cumbersome and time consuming Tintyping method, he took his photo. What was developed had long been decried ad a hoax. Behind Mary Todd, is the Ghostly image of none other than Lincoln himself, hands resting on Mary's shoulders as if to "comfort her". Until Mumler's death, he stated he had not altered the photo. Lincoln has also been photographed in White House mirrors and walking the grounds (another habit of his when stressed). Perhaps hoaxed, perhaps true, perhaps.....Who Knows?