Washington DC from Arlington - a photo on Flickriver

Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843-June 26, 1926), was the sole child of President Abraham Lincoln to live to maturity. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

He served on U.S. Grant's staff during the Civil War, following his graduation from Harvard. While still a youth he was rescued from falling from a moving train by Edwin Booth, elder brother of John Wilkes Booth (the assassin of his father).

He was connected with the assassinations of three American Presidents. He was present at his father's bedside when he died; was in the crowd at the Washington, DC, railroad station when President James Garfield was shot; and was at the Buffalo (NY) Pan-American Exposition when President William McKinley was shot. He later refused to attend Presidential functions, believing that he somehow brought bad luck to them.

He served the United States as the last Minister to Great Britain (before the title was changed to Ambassador) and as Secretary of War under President Garfield. His only son, Abraham Lincoln II, died in France while Robert was serving as Minister in London (see separate information on the younger Lincoln).

He later became President of the Pullman Company in Chicago. He was also present at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

He died at his summer retreat, "Hildene," in Manchester, Vermont, where he had become a virtual recluse in the later years. He was described in contemporary reports as "A full-fleshed man, bearded and bespectacled who was impeccable in his social relations and personal grooming." He spent much of his time protecting his family against sensation seekers and speculators and was put into the position of having his mother (Mary Todd Lincoln) committed to a mental institution when her irrational behavior became worse. He is the only member of his father's immediate family not to be buried in the Lincoln family plot in Springfield, Illinois.

The federal government confiscated the Arlington House and property when property taxes levied against Arlington estate were not paid in person by Mrs. Lee. It was purchased in January 1864 by a tax commissioner for "government use, for war, military, charitable and educational purposes."

Eventually Custis Lee sued the government and a trial agreed he was the rightful owner of the property. Lee and the government agreed on a price of $150,000, the property's fair market value. Congress quickly appropriated the funds. Lee signed papers conveying the title on March 31, 1883, which placed federal ownership of Arlington beyond dispute. The man who formally accepted title to the property for the government was none other than Robert Todd Lincoln, secretary of war and son of the president so often bedeviled by Custis Lee's father.

If the sons of such adversaries could bury past arguments, perhaps there was hope for national reunion.

Taken in: United States / Virginia / Arlington / Fort Myer (show map)

Taken on: March 22, 2013

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Sets appears in: • 2013 March--Wash DC • Arlington National Cemetery, Wash DC

Camera: Canon EOS 50D, f/8.0, 1/250 sec, 32mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 50D
Lens:	18-270mm
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	32mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	+2/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
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