Willie Lincoln was born on this day in 1850. Willie would die at the age of 12 in 1862 while his father Abraham was President of the United States. Willie was the third of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s 4 sons. He died of typhoid fever. They believe he got it from contaminated water. They say that Willie was the son who was most like his father and his father’s favourite. Both his parents took Willie’s death very hard. Some say neither ever got over his death. Of the four Lincoln sons only Robert Todd Lincoln would live to be an adult.

Willie’s brother Tad was also sick when Willie was but he recovered [he would die at age 18 in 1871} They buried Willie at Oak Hill Cemetary in Georgetown. They said that Abraham visited the grave often. After President Lincoln’s death Willie’s body was exhumed and reinterred at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield,Illinois beside his father and brothers.