![]() ![]() Like Abraham and Mary, young Tad loved the theater. Regarding Tad the president's secretary, John Hay, wrote, "He had a very bad opinion of books and no opinion of discipline." The attitude of the parents was basically "let the children have a good time." Lincoln hired tutors for the boys, but only Willie took education seriously. (The National Archives photo to the left shows Tad in the Union uniform that Stanton allowed him to wear.) Mrs. He received a pretend military commission from Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Because of the times, some of Tad's games were war-related. ![]() Tad seemed to enjoy the idea of throwing the White House and its staff into a dither. Abraham generally laughed at his sons' tricks, and any kind of discipline was generally lacking. In the White House Tad sprayed dignitaries with the fire hose, broke mirrors, locked doors, interrupted Cabinet meetings, constructed wagons and sleds out of chairs, set up a food shop in the lobby, rang the call bells, and drilled the servants, as if they were soldiers. The photo is from the Columbia Historical Society.) Although Tad was more rambunctious than his brother, Willie, both boys enjoyed playing pranks around the Executive Mansion. This is where the president took Tad to buy toys. (The photo to the right is Stuntz's Fancy Store, 1207 New York Avenue, Northwest, in Washington. Tad was eight when the Lincoln family moved into the White House in 1861. Tad's behavior and manners were often unpredictable and sometimes difficult to deal with. He was imaginative, sensitive, exasperating, loving, and highly emotional. It is probable that Tad had at least a partial cleft palate, and he spoke with a lisp. Tad was quick in his movements, talked rapidly, and had a marked speech impediment. Abraham, viewing the contrast between the large head and tiny baby figure, thought he resembled a tadpole which was the origin of a nickname that stuck for the rest of Tad's life.Īs a young lad growing up, Tad had an appealing boyish face with dark hair like his dad's. Tad was named after Thomas Lincoln, Abraham's father who had died in 1851. Thomas Lincoln ("Tad") was the fourth and last child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. ![]()
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