Americas Forgotten Son: Abraham Lincoln Jr.

Do you know who is in the above image????????????????????????

Few people know that President Abraham Lincoln had a grandson who could have carried on his lineage. President Lincoln had four sons and only one son survived until adulthood and he was the oldest child. Robert Todd Lincoln was born in 1843 and after attending Harvard he served in General Grants staff as the Civil War drew to its final curtain. He was present at Appomattox when the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered. He also stood at his fathers bedside when President Lincoln breathed his last.

After the war Robert got married (in 1868) and both he and his wife had three children between 1869-1875. The oldest and the youngest children were girls but the middle child was a boy born in 1873. They christened their child Abraham Lincoln II but nicknamed him "Jack" to avoid any confusion with the childs famous grandfather. It was later said that Jacks personality was very similar to his grandfathers. Jack loved to ride bicycles and he maintained a rock collection. When he was sixteen Jack was living with his father in London because Robert Lincoln was serving as the United States Minister to Great Britain. Jack was about to take entrance exams to Harvard when he contracted blood poisoning and despite two surgeries his life could not be spared. In 1890 the only grandson of Abraham Lincoln died and his name would not live on via a direct descendant. When Robert wrote of his son's death he stated "An so my coal is quenched both Mr. Lincoln's and mine." With that "joke" aside, Robert later added "I did not realized until he was gone how deeply mt thoughts of the future were in him." Robert Lincoln joined his son in death in 1926.

Jack was originally buried with his grandfather in Springfield but after Robert's death the only surviving son of the 16th President was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Jack's remains were removed from the Lincoln tomb in 1930 and he is buried there with his father. Jack's eldest sister, Mary Lincoln lived until 1938. Their sister Jesse Lincoln lived until 1848. Jesse's son, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith was born in 1904 and since he was the great-grandson og President Abraham Lincoln he would be Lincoln's longest living direct descendant. Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith died in 1985 and he had no children. With no other direct heirs the direct bloodline to President Lincoln is forever lost and that all started in London, England in 1890 when Abraham Lincoln II died from blood poisoning.