Perhaps the majority of people in the United States don’t know why
Lincoln “growed” whiskers after his first nomination for the Presidency.
Before that time his face was clean shaven.
In the beautiful village of Westfield, Chautauqua county, New York,
there lived, in 1860, little Grace Bedell. During the campaign of that
year she saw a portrait of Lincoln, for whom she felt the love and
reverence that was common in Republican families, and his smooth, homely
face rather disappointed her. She said to her mother: “I think, mother,
that Mr. Lincoln would look better if he wore whiskers, and I mean to
write and tell him so.”
The mother gave her permission.
Grace’s father was a Republican; her two brothers were Democrats.
Grace wrote at once to the “Hon. Abraham Lincoln, Esq., Springfield,
Illinois,” in which she told him how old she was, and where she lived;
that she was a Republican; that she thought he would make a good
President, but would look better if he would let his whiskers grow. If
he would do so, she would try to coax her brothers to vote for him. She
thought the rail fence around the picture of his cabin was very pretty.
“If you have not time to answer my letter, will you allow your little
girl to reply for you?”
Lincoln was much pleased with the letter, and decided to answer it,
which he did at once, as follows:
“Springfield, Illinois, October 19, 1860.
“Miss Grace Bedell.
“My Dear Little Miss: Your very agreeable letter of the fifteenth is
received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I have
three sons; one seventeen, one nine and one seven years of age. They,
with their mother, constitute my whole family. As to the whiskers,
having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece
of silly affectation if I should begin it now? Your very sincere
well-wisher, A. LINCOLN.”
When on the journey to Washington to be inaugurated, Lincoln’s train
stopped at Westfield. He recollected his little correspondent and spoke
of her to ex-Lieutenant Governor George W. Patterson, who called out and
asked if Grace Bedell was present.
There was a large surging mass of people gathered about the train, but
Grace was discovered at a distance; the crowd opened a pathway to the
coach, and she came, timidly but gladly, to the President-elect, who
told her that she might see that he had allowed his whiskers to grow at
her request. Then, reaching out his long arms, he drew her up to him and
kissed her. The act drew an enthusiastic demonstration of approval from
the multitude.
Grace married a Kansas banker, and became Grace Bedell Billings.