Good question, Sirous. The Lincoln scene is from my general knowledge of his childhood from having read multiple biographies (Team of Rivals, Emil Ludwig’s Lincoln … etc.) and books about his writing influences (Lincoln’s Sword, Lincoln at Gettysburg). I can’t tell you exactly which source I rememberd the abandonment from, but a quick Google search brings up one example:
“The children were heartbroken at losing their mother, and the house was a mess without Nancy to bring order to it. Tom realized he needed help, so he left nine-year-old Abe and eleven-year-old Sally alone in the cabin while he returned to Kentucky to find a new wife. The children had little to eat other than dried berries that had been stored away by Nancy. A neighbor who stopped by reported that the children were terribly skinny, filthy, and the house was in terrible condition. Abe and Sally were alone for half of the following year. They must have been certain they had been abandoned.”
