Comments on: College Freshman Discovers Lincoln’s Fingerprint

By: Blog Divided » Post Topic » College Student Finds Lincoln Fingerprint

Blog Divided » Post Topic » College Student Finds Lincoln Fingerprint — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:17:49 +0000

[...] the finding. Though there is some debate over how many known Lincoln fingerprints exist (see this post from Sam Wheeler), Lupton claims this is actually the second one in the Miami University collection [...]

By: Caroline Welling Van Deusen

Caroline Welling Van Deusen — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:50:39 +0000

My great grandfather was James Welling, National Intelligencer editor who advised Lincoln on his 1862 reply to Greeley.

The Greeley letter by Lincoln at the Wadsworth in Hartford, Conn was donated by my Aunt Elsa, daughter of JC Welling.

I have an old albumen print of the famous Greely letter and have often wondered if the thumbprint on the last page was Lincoln’s.

Any suggestions?

By: Samuel P. Wheeler

Samuel P. Wheeler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:59:46 +0000

Thanks again for pointing this out. I have updated the story in light of your observations, along with a link to your site.

By: John Sotos

John Sotos — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:32:43 +0000

I check your blog almost every day.

Although it’s mentioned in the Sourcebook, the illustration is in the other book, The Physical Lincoln. Alas the illustration in the book shows the fingerprinted area as only a smudge. The book’s text mentions the fingerprint, but image-processing is required to see the ridgelines clearly. The Lincoln Museum (RIP) sent me a scan to work with — I have never seen the original note.

By: Samuel P. Wheeler

Samuel P. Wheeler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:18:09 +0000

It’s good to hear from you! This is news to me. I had no clue we had Lincoln’s fingerprints on file. I will take a look at your source book.

By: John Sotos

John Sotos — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:28:35 +0000

This is the third fingerprint on record. Page 157 of “The Physical Lincoln” describes and illustrates the second. It is on a remarkable note, written in disheveled handwriting, that Lincoln penned while he was ill with smallpox.