Reply #21: That was my feeling as well re: Mary Todd

[Dover]

She also lost her brothers in the war, if I recall correctly. I can't even imagine losing one child, but THREE! AND a husband and all that came with that very public life. AND being surrounded by all the death, division and difficulty of those times while being at the epicenter for the pressure cooker of unimaginable responsibilities and decisions required at the White House. Horrific!

I love that website (link provided in the OP for Willie and Tad) that provides information on some very private and intimate exchanges between the family members. You can begin to get a feel for how they were with one another and how they responded to life and loss. So moving...


I think Robert "Bob" might have shut down emotionally as a means of survival. He also created a geographical distance by leaving home early for school and being away from Washington D.C. much of the time. And he, more than the other boys, felt a bit oppressed living in his father's shadow and worked hard to get out from under it.