The fruits of Mr. Herndon's labors are garnered in three enormous volumes of original manuscripts and a mass of unarranged letters and papers. They comprise the recollections of Mr. Lincoln's nearest friends; of the surviving members of his family and his family-connections; of the men still living who knew him and his parents in Kentucky; of his schoolfellows, neighbors, and acquaintances in Indiana; of the better part of the whole population of New Salem; of his associates and relatives at Springfield; and of lawyers, judges, politicians, and statesmen everywhere, who had any thing of interest or moment to relate. They were collected at vast expense of time, labor, and money, involving the employment of many agents, long journeys, tedious examinations, and voluminous correspondence. Upon the value of these materials it would be impossible to place an estimate. That I have used them conscientiously and justly is the only merit to which I lay claim. As a general thing, my text will be found to support itself; but whether the particular authority be mentioned or not, it is proper to remark, that each statement of fact is fully sustained by indisputable evidence remaining in my possession. My original plan was to verify every important statement by one or more appropriate citations; but it was early abandoned, not because it involved unwelcome labor, but because it encumbered my pages with a great array of obscure names, which the reader would probably pass unnoticed. I dismiss this volume into the world, with no claim for it of literary excellence, but with the hope that it will prove what it purports to be,--a faithful record of the life of Abraham Lincoln down to the 4th of March, 1861. Ward H. Lamon. Washington City, May, 1872. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Birth.--His father and mother.--History of Thomas Lincoln and his family a necessary part of Abraham Lincoln's biography.--Thomas Lincoln's ancestors.--Members of the family remaining in Virginia.--Birth of Thomas Lincoln.--Removal to Kentucky.--Life in the Wilderness.--Lincolns settle in Mercer County.--Thomas Lincoln's father shot by Indians.--Widow and family remove to Washington County.--Thomas poor.--Wanders into Breckinridge County.--Goes to Hardin County.--Works at the carpenter's trade.--Cannot read or write.--Personal appearance.--Called "Linckhom," or "Linckhera."--Thomas Lincoln as a carpenter.--Marries Nancy Hanks.--Previously courted Sally Bush.--Character of Sally Bush.--The person and character of Nancy Hanks.--Thomas and Nancy Lincoln go to live in a shed.--Birth of a daughter.--They remove to Nolin Creek.--Birth of Abraham.--Removal to Knob Creek.--Little Abe initiated into wild sports.--His sadness.--Goes to school.--Thomas Lincoln concludes to move.--Did not fly from the taint of slavery.--Abraham Lincoln always reticent about the history and character of his family.--Record in his Bible... 1 CHAPTER II.