Her maternal grandmother is Eleanor Maraman Riney.
Married to William Slack on Aug 4 1813.
Probably a descendant of Henry Hudson Wathen.
DEATH NOTICE (Louisville, Kentucky):
DIED, at the residence of her son-in-law, J.O. Webb [wife of Arathusa Slack b. 1820], on the 19th inst., Mrs. Henrietta Slack, wife of William G. Slack, in the 76th year of her age. Funeral services will take place at the Cathedral on Fifth Street, on to-morrow (Sunday) at 2 o'clock P.M.
Henrietta's uncle, Zachariah Riney was the 1st teacher of President Abraham Lincoln at Knob Creek between Hodgensville and New Haven, KY.
THE LINCOLN CONNECTION TO THE AREA WHERE THE SLACKS, WATHENS AND RINEYS LIVED:
Abraham Linkhorn Lincoln, a nephew of Sarah Lincoln Boone, and grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln, went to Virginia before 1775. Near the close of the war in 1782 he sold his Virginia plantation and it is said he went to Kentucky, where, with Daniel Boone, he purchased four hundred acres on Long Green River, in Jefferson County, eight hundred acres on Green River, near Green River Line, and five hundred acres in Campbell County. (In 1774, Boone built a cabin at Harrodsburg.) He lived, according to tradition, at Hughs Station on Floyd Creek, Jefferson County. He moved to Hardin County, Kentucky, a little later than Daniel Boone, about 1780. He had a son, Thomas Lincoln, who was the President's father. Abraham Lincoln, father of Thomas, was killed by Indians, stealthily about May of 1786 (or 1783) near Hughes's Station while clearing up a timbered farm in Kentucky when his son, Thomas, was six years old, leaving a widow and three sons and 2 daughters. His oldest son, Mordecai was able to kill the Indian before he took his fathers's scalp. President Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Ky (in Sinking Spring, Hodgenville, Harden Co., KY).
DAVID TYLER:
William and Henrietta (Wathen) Slack's children were as follows:
1. Frances F. Slack, b: 1814, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: about 1856; m: William Chandler McDonald, 29 May 1836. A descendant of theirs is Robert McDonald, who presently lives in Fredericktown, Kentucky. Robert has been very helpful in clarifying the location of Slack land in the Fredericktown area. He is well versed in the Slack family history and has provided several items for this history.
2. John B. Slack, b: about 1815, Washington Co., Kentucky;36 served in the Mexican War and moved to Bastrop, Ft. Bend, and Bell Co., Texas; m: Theresa Lee, 15 October 1870 in Ft. Bend, Texas.
3. Robert N. Slack, b: about 1818, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: never married. There is evidence for him being in Louisville, Kentucky; Galveston, Fort Bend, Houston, and Wharton, Texas; San Francisco and Shasta, California.
4. Arathusa Slack, b: 1820, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: John C. Webb. They lived in Louisville, Kentucky, Minister Joseph T. Jarboe; src: Washington Co., Kentucky, Marriage Records, Book 3, p. 61.
5. Joseph B. Slack, b: about 1822, Washington Co., Kentucky. He went to Texas in November 1835, joined Capt. Bird's Unit of Ft. Bend on 6 March 1836. He was at the Battle of San Jacinto (Mexican War), rank of private, 24 April 1839; discharged 28 July 1839.· Later, he became a Texas Ranger.
6. James Brown Slack, b: 14 May 1825, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: 20 December 1880 in Hardin Co., Kentucky; m: Elvira Ann Winfield, 26 August 1847. James was a tanner by trade and operated a large tannery and grocery store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
----------
Interview with Susan Riney Yeager (Zachariah Riney's daughter) in Elizabethtown (KY) News, 1897:
Susie Yeager, a Schoolmate of Lincoln in Kentucky
Yes I remember Abe Lincoln well as a little bit of a fellow, she said. It was what now is Larue County, but was then a part of Hardin County. Abe and I went to the same school. My father Zachariah Riney, was the teacher.
I can see the old school house now, the old lady continues with a far-away look in her eyes. It was built of rough logs, as all school houses were in those days and mostly all of the dwelling houses, daubed with mud. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the length of the building served for light and ventilation. The floor was a dirt one, leveled and beaten solid. The benches consisted of logs split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of plank supported by stumps. This the privilege of sitting upon it. The old lady laughed as her memory called her back eighty long years and evidently the senses of her childhood were vividly presented to her mind. She continued...
But you want to know about little Abe. He was then barely seven years old and I was ten. I remember his big sister bringing him to school the first day. Oh, she was fond of him, she also attended school there; and all day long, whether at lessons or at play, her careful eye was constantly watching him. She was a regular little mother to him. I have seen her on rainy days, or when the roads were muddy, carrying him in her arms to and from the school house. At playtime she would always insist that he play with her and the girls, telling him to keep away from the big boys, as they were likely to hurt him in their rough play. In those days quit a number of the scholars were full grown men.
A school session lasted the summer months, because it was too cold to go to school in the winter. It therefore took a long time to acquire such an education as the county afforded. But little Abe would not consent to be held to his sister's apron strings. He had a will of his own and, strangly enought he did seek the society of boys his own age. The one thing I remember most about him was his unfailing good humor. I never remember seen him cry during the two years he attending that school.
He wore home spun clothes as did all the children, and went barefooted. He never received a whipping and in our time the child was not spoiled by sparing the rod, and to go without a whipping a whole session was proof that he was an extra good boy.
Of course, laughed Mrs Yeager, I did not know then that the little chap we all loved so well would someday be the president or I would have taken notes of his sayings and doings. Indeed, it is a fact that I never knew until after his death that President Lincoln was the same identical little Abe. In those days the Lincoln family pronounced their name, Linkhorn.
One thing I remember very distinctly is seeing him bending down saplings and riding them horses. That was his favorite amusement at playtime.
I would like to thank Diane Hosek, Susan Riney's great-great-great granddaughter, for sending me the interview! The interview was discovered by Diane's aunt, Martina Barker Aldred.
Master Zachariah Riney (who taught Lincoln .. As a Boy) is referred to as "a man of excellent character, deep piety and fair education."
Lincoln had more interaction with Master Riney than historians would have believed. Riney owned a farm adjacent to the Hanks, the family of Abe's mother.
Miss Helen Nicolay, whose father, John G. Nicolay, and John Hay, the late Secretary of State, wrote the one great “Life of Lincoln,” wrote what is considered by authorities, the best “Boys’ Life of Lincoln.” Miss Nicolay says that when Lincoln was four years of age his Parents moved to a “much bigger and better farm on Knob Creek.” “It was,” she says, “while living on this farm that Abraham and his sister, Sarah, first began going to school. Their earliest teacher was Zachariah Riney, who taught near the Lincoln cabin.”
In this connection the following letter is interesting and instructive, for Miss Nicolay truly says “that of the early part of Lincoln’s childhood almost nothing is known.”
In response to an inquiry sent by the United States Marshal, James M. Yeager, whether she was a schoolmate of Lincoln’s, Mrs. Yeager wrote as follows:
Dear Sir: I was very glad to hear from you. Many thanks. Yes, I went to school with Abraham Lincoln. I remember Abe Lincoln well when he was a little bit of a fellow. It was in what is now LaRue county, but then was a part of Hardin county, that Abe Lincoln and I went to the same school. My father, Zachariah Riney, was the teacher. I can see the old school house now. It was built of rough logs as all school houses were in those days. The logs were so arranged at the corners of the building that the ends stuck out and formed little recesses in which the children played at hide and seek. These were favorite hiding places for little Abe. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the whole length of the building served for light and the floor was of dirt. The benches consisted of logs, split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of a plank. This was looked upon with envy, and the childred used to fight daily for the privilege of sitting upon it. The school house was situated on Knob Creek where it joins Rolling Ford. I remember that Abe’s sister brought him to school. He was then six years old, and I was ten. They walked a distance of several miles. He was most diligent at his studies. The one thing that I remember best about was his unfailing good humor. He was an extra good boy. He never received a whipping. He was very gentle in his manners. I remember seeing him bend down saplings for horses. This was his favorite amusement at play time. The family moved to Illinois and I never saw them again. I am now nearly ninety-three years of age and do not feel as I did when I went to school and played with little Abe Lincoln.
I hope to hear from you again.
Yours truly,
Susie Yeager.
Rineyville, Ky., Sept. 15, 1897
Married to William Slack on Aug 4 1813.
Probably a descendant of Henry Hudson Wathen.
DEATH NOTICE (Louisville, Kentucky):
DIED, at the residence of her son-in-law, J.O. Webb [wife of Arathusa Slack b. 1820], on the 19th inst., Mrs. Henrietta Slack, wife of William G. Slack, in the 76th year of her age. Funeral services will take place at the Cathedral on Fifth Street, on to-morrow (Sunday) at 2 o'clock P.M.
Henrietta's uncle, Zachariah Riney was the 1st teacher of President Abraham Lincoln at Knob Creek between Hodgensville and New Haven, KY.
THE LINCOLN CONNECTION TO THE AREA WHERE THE SLACKS, WATHENS AND RINEYS LIVED:
Abraham Linkhorn Lincoln, a nephew of Sarah Lincoln Boone, and grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln, went to Virginia before 1775. Near the close of the war in 1782 he sold his Virginia plantation and it is said he went to Kentucky, where, with Daniel Boone, he purchased four hundred acres on Long Green River, in Jefferson County, eight hundred acres on Green River, near Green River Line, and five hundred acres in Campbell County. (In 1774, Boone built a cabin at Harrodsburg.) He lived, according to tradition, at Hughs Station on Floyd Creek, Jefferson County. He moved to Hardin County, Kentucky, a little later than Daniel Boone, about 1780. He had a son, Thomas Lincoln, who was the President's father. Abraham Lincoln, father of Thomas, was killed by Indians, stealthily about May of 1786 (or 1783) near Hughes's Station while clearing up a timbered farm in Kentucky when his son, Thomas, was six years old, leaving a widow and three sons and 2 daughters. His oldest son, Mordecai was able to kill the Indian before he took his fathers's scalp. President Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Ky (in Sinking Spring, Hodgenville, Harden Co., KY).
DAVID TYLER:
William and Henrietta (Wathen) Slack's children were as follows:
1. Frances F. Slack, b: 1814, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: about 1856; m: William Chandler McDonald, 29 May 1836. A descendant of theirs is Robert McDonald, who presently lives in Fredericktown, Kentucky. Robert has been very helpful in clarifying the location of Slack land in the Fredericktown area. He is well versed in the Slack family history and has provided several items for this history.
2. John B. Slack, b: about 1815, Washington Co., Kentucky;36 served in the Mexican War and moved to Bastrop, Ft. Bend, and Bell Co., Texas; m: Theresa Lee, 15 October 1870 in Ft. Bend, Texas.
3. Robert N. Slack, b: about 1818, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: never married. There is evidence for him being in Louisville, Kentucky; Galveston, Fort Bend, Houston, and Wharton, Texas; San Francisco and Shasta, California.
4. Arathusa Slack, b: 1820, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: John C. Webb. They lived in Louisville, Kentucky, Minister Joseph T. Jarboe; src: Washington Co., Kentucky, Marriage Records, Book 3, p. 61.
5. Joseph B. Slack, b: about 1822, Washington Co., Kentucky. He went to Texas in November 1835, joined Capt. Bird's Unit of Ft. Bend on 6 March 1836. He was at the Battle of San Jacinto (Mexican War), rank of private, 24 April 1839; discharged 28 July 1839.· Later, he became a Texas Ranger.
6. James Brown Slack, b: 14 May 1825, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: 20 December 1880 in Hardin Co., Kentucky; m: Elvira Ann Winfield, 26 August 1847. James was a tanner by trade and operated a large tannery and grocery store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
----------
Interview with Susan Riney Yeager (Zachariah Riney's daughter) in Elizabethtown (KY) News, 1897:
Susie Yeager, a Schoolmate of Lincoln in Kentucky
Yes I remember Abe Lincoln well as a little bit of a fellow, she said. It was what now is Larue County, but was then a part of Hardin County. Abe and I went to the same school. My father Zachariah Riney, was the teacher.
I can see the old school house now, the old lady continues with a far-away look in her eyes. It was built of rough logs, as all school houses were in those days and mostly all of the dwelling houses, daubed with mud. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the length of the building served for light and ventilation. The floor was a dirt one, leveled and beaten solid. The benches consisted of logs split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of plank supported by stumps. This the privilege of sitting upon it. The old lady laughed as her memory called her back eighty long years and evidently the senses of her childhood were vividly presented to her mind. She continued...
But you want to know about little Abe. He was then barely seven years old and I was ten. I remember his big sister bringing him to school the first day. Oh, she was fond of him, she also attended school there; and all day long, whether at lessons or at play, her careful eye was constantly watching him. She was a regular little mother to him. I have seen her on rainy days, or when the roads were muddy, carrying him in her arms to and from the school house. At playtime she would always insist that he play with her and the girls, telling him to keep away from the big boys, as they were likely to hurt him in their rough play. In those days quit a number of the scholars were full grown men.
A school session lasted the summer months, because it was too cold to go to school in the winter. It therefore took a long time to acquire such an education as the county afforded. But little Abe would not consent to be held to his sister's apron strings. He had a will of his own and, strangly enought he did seek the society of boys his own age. The one thing I remember most about him was his unfailing good humor. I never remember seen him cry during the two years he attending that school.
He wore home spun clothes as did all the children, and went barefooted. He never received a whipping and in our time the child was not spoiled by sparing the rod, and to go without a whipping a whole session was proof that he was an extra good boy.
Of course, laughed Mrs Yeager, I did not know then that the little chap we all loved so well would someday be the president or I would have taken notes of his sayings and doings. Indeed, it is a fact that I never knew until after his death that President Lincoln was the same identical little Abe. In those days the Lincoln family pronounced their name, Linkhorn.
One thing I remember very distinctly is seeing him bending down saplings and riding them horses. That was his favorite amusement at playtime.
I would like to thank Diane Hosek, Susan Riney's great-great-great granddaughter, for sending me the interview! The interview was discovered by Diane's aunt, Martina Barker Aldred.
Master Zachariah Riney (who taught Lincoln .. As a Boy) is referred to as "a man of excellent character, deep piety and fair education."
Lincoln had more interaction with Master Riney than historians would have believed. Riney owned a farm adjacent to the Hanks, the family of Abe's mother.
Miss Helen Nicolay, whose father, John G. Nicolay, and John Hay, the late Secretary of State, wrote the one great “Life of Lincoln,” wrote what is considered by authorities, the best “Boys’ Life of Lincoln.” Miss Nicolay says that when Lincoln was four years of age his Parents moved to a “much bigger and better farm on Knob Creek.” “It was,” she says, “while living on this farm that Abraham and his sister, Sarah, first began going to school. Their earliest teacher was Zachariah Riney, who taught near the Lincoln cabin.”
In this connection the following letter is interesting and instructive, for Miss Nicolay truly says “that of the early part of Lincoln’s childhood almost nothing is known.”
In response to an inquiry sent by the United States Marshal, James M. Yeager, whether she was a schoolmate of Lincoln’s, Mrs. Yeager wrote as follows:
Dear Sir: I was very glad to hear from you. Many thanks. Yes, I went to school with Abraham Lincoln. I remember Abe Lincoln well when he was a little bit of a fellow. It was in what is now LaRue county, but then was a part of Hardin county, that Abe Lincoln and I went to the same school. My father, Zachariah Riney, was the teacher. I can see the old school house now. It was built of rough logs as all school houses were in those days. The logs were so arranged at the corners of the building that the ends stuck out and formed little recesses in which the children played at hide and seek. These were favorite hiding places for little Abe. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the whole length of the building served for light and the floor was of dirt. The benches consisted of logs, split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of a plank. This was looked upon with envy, and the childred used to fight daily for the privilege of sitting upon it. The school house was situated on Knob Creek where it joins Rolling Ford. I remember that Abe’s sister brought him to school. He was then six years old, and I was ten. They walked a distance of several miles. He was most diligent at his studies. The one thing that I remember best about was his unfailing good humor. He was an extra good boy. He never received a whipping. He was very gentle in his manners. I remember seeing him bend down saplings for horses. This was his favorite amusement at play time. The family moved to Illinois and I never saw them again. I am now nearly ninety-three years of age and do not feel as I did when I went to school and played with little Abe Lincoln.
I hope to hear from you again.
Yours truly,
Susie Yeager.
Rineyville, Ky., Sept. 15, 1897
Her maternal grandmother is Eleanor Maraman Riney.
Married to William Slack on Aug 4 1813.
Probably a descendant of Henry Hudson Wathen.
DEATH NOTICE (Louisville, Kentucky):
DIED, at the residence of her son-in-law, J.O. Webb [wife of Arathusa Slack b. 1820], on the 19th inst., Mrs. Henrietta Slack, wife of William G. Slack, in the 76th year of her age. Funeral services will take place at the Cathedral on Fifth Street, on to-morrow (Sunday) at 2 o'clock P.M.
Henrietta's uncle, Zachariah Riney was the 1st teacher of President Abraham Lincoln at Knob Creek between Hodgensville and New Haven, KY.
THE LINCOLN CONNECTION TO THE AREA WHERE THE SLACKS, WATHENS AND RINEYS LIVED:
Abraham Linkhorn Lincoln, a nephew of Sarah Lincoln Boone, and grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln, went to Virginia before 1775. Near the close of the war in 1782 he sold his Virginia plantation and it is said he went to Kentucky, where, with Daniel Boone, he purchased four hundred acres on Long Green River, in Jefferson County, eight hundred acres on Green River, near Green River Line, and five hundred acres in Campbell County. (In 1774, Boone built a cabin at Harrodsburg.) He lived, according to tradition, at Hughs Station on Floyd Creek, Jefferson County. He moved to Hardin County, Kentucky, a little later than Daniel Boone, about 1780. He had a son, Thomas Lincoln, who was the President's father. Abraham Lincoln, father of Thomas, was killed by Indians, stealthily about May of 1786 (or 1783) near Hughes's Station while clearing up a timbered farm in Kentucky when his son, Thomas, was six years old, leaving a widow and three sons and 2 daughters. His oldest son, Mordecai was able to kill the Indian before he took his fathers's scalp. President Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Ky (in Sinking Spring, Hodgenville, Harden Co., KY).
DAVID TYLER:
William and Henrietta (Wathen) Slack's children were as follows:
1. Frances F. Slack, b: 1814, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: about 1856; m: William Chandler McDonald, 29 May 1836. A descendant of theirs is Robert McDonald, who presently lives in Fredericktown, Kentucky. Robert has been very helpful in clarifying the location of Slack land in the Fredericktown area. He is well versed in the Slack family history and has provided several items for this history.
2. John B. Slack, b: about 1815, Washington Co., Kentucky;36 served in the Mexican War and moved to Bastrop, Ft. Bend, and Bell Co., Texas; m: Theresa Lee, 15 October 1870 in Ft. Bend, Texas.
3. Robert N. Slack, b: about 1818, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: never married. There is evidence for him being in Louisville, Kentucky; Galveston, Fort Bend, Houston, and Wharton, Texas; San Francisco and Shasta, California.
4. Arathusa Slack, b: 1820, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: John C. Webb. They lived in Louisville, Kentucky, Minister Joseph T. Jarboe; src: Washington Co., Kentucky, Marriage Records, Book 3, p. 61.
5. Joseph B. Slack, b: about 1822, Washington Co., Kentucky. He went to Texas in November 1835, joined Capt. Bird's Unit of Ft. Bend on 6 March 1836. He was at the Battle of San Jacinto (Mexican War), rank of private, 24 April 1839; discharged 28 July 1839.· Later, he became a Texas Ranger.
6. James Brown Slack, b: 14 May 1825, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: 20 December 1880 in Hardin Co., Kentucky; m: Elvira Ann Winfield, 26 August 1847. James was a tanner by trade and operated a large tannery and grocery store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
----------
Interview with Susan Riney Yeager (Zachariah Riney's daughter) in Elizabethtown (KY) News, 1897:
Susie Yeager, a Schoolmate of Lincoln in Kentucky
Yes I remember Abe Lincoln well as a little bit of a fellow, she said. It was what now is Larue County, but was then a part of Hardin County. Abe and I went to the same school. My father Zachariah Riney, was the teacher.
I can see the old school house now, the old lady continues with a far-away look in her eyes. It was built of rough logs, as all school houses were in those days and mostly all of the dwelling houses, daubed with mud. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the length of the building served for light and ventilation. The floor was a dirt one, leveled and beaten solid. The benches consisted of logs split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of plank supported by stumps. This the privilege of sitting upon it. The old lady laughed as her memory called her back eighty long years and evidently the senses of her childhood were vividly presented to her mind. She continued...
But you want to know about little Abe. He was then barely seven years old and I was ten. I remember his big sister bringing him to school the first day. Oh, she was fond of him, she also attended school there; and all day long, whether at lessons or at play, her careful eye was constantly watching him. She was a regular little mother to him. I have seen her on rainy days, or when the roads were muddy, carrying him in her arms to and from the school house. At playtime she would always insist that he play with her and the girls, telling him to keep away from the big boys, as they were likely to hurt him in their rough play. In those days quit a number of the scholars were full grown men.
A school session lasted the summer months, because it was too cold to go to school in the winter. It therefore took a long time to acquire such an education as the county afforded. But little Abe would not consent to be held to his sister's apron strings. He had a will of his own and, strangly enought he did seek the society of boys his own age. The one thing I remember most about him was his unfailing good humor. I never remember seen him cry during the two years he attending that school.
He wore home spun clothes as did all the children, and went barefooted. He never received a whipping and in our time the child was not spoiled by sparing the rod, and to go without a whipping a whole session was proof that he was an extra good boy.
Of course, laughed Mrs Yeager, I did not know then that the little chap we all loved so well would someday be the president or I would have taken notes of his sayings and doings. Indeed, it is a fact that I never knew until after his death that President Lincoln was the same identical little Abe. In those days the Lincoln family pronounced their name, Linkhorn.
One thing I remember very distinctly is seeing him bending down saplings and riding them horses. That was his favorite amusement at playtime.
I would like to thank Diane Hosek, Susan Riney's great-great-great granddaughter, for sending me the interview! The interview was discovered by Diane's aunt, Martina Barker Aldred.
Master Zachariah Riney (who taught Lincoln .. As a Boy) is referred to as "a man of excellent character, deep piety and fair education."
Lincoln had more interaction with Master Riney than historians would have believed. Riney owned a farm adjacent to the Hanks, the family of Abe's mother.
Miss Helen Nicolay, whose father, John G. Nicolay, and John Hay, the late Secretary of State, wrote the one great “Life of Lincoln,” wrote what is considered by authorities, the best “Boys’ Life of Lincoln.” Miss Nicolay says that when Lincoln was four years of age his Parents moved to a “much bigger and better farm on Knob Creek.” “It was,” she says, “while living on this farm that Abraham and his sister, Sarah, first began going to school. Their earliest teacher was Zachariah Riney, who taught near the Lincoln cabin.”
In this connection the following letter is interesting and instructive, for Miss Nicolay truly says “that of the early part of Lincoln’s childhood almost nothing is known.”
In response to an inquiry sent by the United States Marshal, James M. Yeager, whether she was a schoolmate of Lincoln’s, Mrs. Yeager wrote as follows:
Dear Sir: I was very glad to hear from you. Many thanks. Yes, I went to school with Abraham Lincoln. I remember Abe Lincoln well when he was a little bit of a fellow. It was in what is now LaRue county, but then was a part of Hardin county, that Abe Lincoln and I went to the same school. My father, Zachariah Riney, was the teacher. I can see the old school house now. It was built of rough logs as all school houses were in those days. The logs were so arranged at the corners of the building that the ends stuck out and formed little recesses in which the children played at hide and seek. These were favorite hiding places for little Abe. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the whole length of the building served for light and the floor was of dirt. The benches consisted of logs, split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of a plank. This was looked upon with envy, and the childred used to fight daily for the privilege of sitting upon it. The school house was situated on Knob Creek where it joins Rolling Ford. I remember that Abe’s sister brought him to school. He was then six years old, and I was ten. They walked a distance of several miles. He was most diligent at his studies. The one thing that I remember best about was his unfailing good humor. He was an extra good boy. He never received a whipping. He was very gentle in his manners. I remember seeing him bend down saplings for horses. This was his favorite amusement at play time. The family moved to Illinois and I never saw them again. I am now nearly ninety-three years of age and do not feel as I did when I went to school and played with little Abe Lincoln.
I hope to hear from you again.
Yours truly,
Susie Yeager.
Rineyville, Ky., Sept. 15, 1897
Married to William Slack on Aug 4 1813.
Probably a descendant of Henry Hudson Wathen.
DEATH NOTICE (Louisville, Kentucky):
DIED, at the residence of her son-in-law, J.O. Webb [wife of Arathusa Slack b. 1820], on the 19th inst., Mrs. Henrietta Slack, wife of William G. Slack, in the 76th year of her age. Funeral services will take place at the Cathedral on Fifth Street, on to-morrow (Sunday) at 2 o'clock P.M.
Henrietta's uncle, Zachariah Riney was the 1st teacher of President Abraham Lincoln at Knob Creek between Hodgensville and New Haven, KY.
THE LINCOLN CONNECTION TO THE AREA WHERE THE SLACKS, WATHENS AND RINEYS LIVED:
Abraham Linkhorn Lincoln, a nephew of Sarah Lincoln Boone, and grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln, went to Virginia before 1775. Near the close of the war in 1782 he sold his Virginia plantation and it is said he went to Kentucky, where, with Daniel Boone, he purchased four hundred acres on Long Green River, in Jefferson County, eight hundred acres on Green River, near Green River Line, and five hundred acres in Campbell County. (In 1774, Boone built a cabin at Harrodsburg.) He lived, according to tradition, at Hughs Station on Floyd Creek, Jefferson County. He moved to Hardin County, Kentucky, a little later than Daniel Boone, about 1780. He had a son, Thomas Lincoln, who was the President's father. Abraham Lincoln, father of Thomas, was killed by Indians, stealthily about May of 1786 (or 1783) near Hughes's Station while clearing up a timbered farm in Kentucky when his son, Thomas, was six years old, leaving a widow and three sons and 2 daughters. His oldest son, Mordecai was able to kill the Indian before he took his fathers's scalp. President Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Ky (in Sinking Spring, Hodgenville, Harden Co., KY).
DAVID TYLER:
William and Henrietta (Wathen) Slack's children were as follows:
1. Frances F. Slack, b: 1814, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: about 1856; m: William Chandler McDonald, 29 May 1836. A descendant of theirs is Robert McDonald, who presently lives in Fredericktown, Kentucky. Robert has been very helpful in clarifying the location of Slack land in the Fredericktown area. He is well versed in the Slack family history and has provided several items for this history.
2. John B. Slack, b: about 1815, Washington Co., Kentucky;36 served in the Mexican War and moved to Bastrop, Ft. Bend, and Bell Co., Texas; m: Theresa Lee, 15 October 1870 in Ft. Bend, Texas.
3. Robert N. Slack, b: about 1818, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: never married. There is evidence for him being in Louisville, Kentucky; Galveston, Fort Bend, Houston, and Wharton, Texas; San Francisco and Shasta, California.
4. Arathusa Slack, b: 1820, Washington Co., Kentucky; m: John C. Webb. They lived in Louisville, Kentucky, Minister Joseph T. Jarboe; src: Washington Co., Kentucky, Marriage Records, Book 3, p. 61.
5. Joseph B. Slack, b: about 1822, Washington Co., Kentucky. He went to Texas in November 1835, joined Capt. Bird's Unit of Ft. Bend on 6 March 1836. He was at the Battle of San Jacinto (Mexican War), rank of private, 24 April 1839; discharged 28 July 1839.· Later, he became a Texas Ranger.
6. James Brown Slack, b: 14 May 1825, Washington Co., Kentucky; d: 20 December 1880 in Hardin Co., Kentucky; m: Elvira Ann Winfield, 26 August 1847. James was a tanner by trade and operated a large tannery and grocery store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
----------
Interview with Susan Riney Yeager (Zachariah Riney's daughter) in Elizabethtown (KY) News, 1897:
Susie Yeager, a Schoolmate of Lincoln in Kentucky
Yes I remember Abe Lincoln well as a little bit of a fellow, she said. It was what now is Larue County, but was then a part of Hardin County. Abe and I went to the same school. My father Zachariah Riney, was the teacher.
I can see the old school house now, the old lady continues with a far-away look in her eyes. It was built of rough logs, as all school houses were in those days and mostly all of the dwelling houses, daubed with mud. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the length of the building served for light and ventilation. The floor was a dirt one, leveled and beaten solid. The benches consisted of logs split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of plank supported by stumps. This the privilege of sitting upon it. The old lady laughed as her memory called her back eighty long years and evidently the senses of her childhood were vividly presented to her mind. She continued...
But you want to know about little Abe. He was then barely seven years old and I was ten. I remember his big sister bringing him to school the first day. Oh, she was fond of him, she also attended school there; and all day long, whether at lessons or at play, her careful eye was constantly watching him. She was a regular little mother to him. I have seen her on rainy days, or when the roads were muddy, carrying him in her arms to and from the school house. At playtime she would always insist that he play with her and the girls, telling him to keep away from the big boys, as they were likely to hurt him in their rough play. In those days quit a number of the scholars were full grown men.
A school session lasted the summer months, because it was too cold to go to school in the winter. It therefore took a long time to acquire such an education as the county afforded. But little Abe would not consent to be held to his sister's apron strings. He had a will of his own and, strangly enought he did seek the society of boys his own age. The one thing I remember most about him was his unfailing good humor. I never remember seen him cry during the two years he attending that school.
He wore home spun clothes as did all the children, and went barefooted. He never received a whipping and in our time the child was not spoiled by sparing the rod, and to go without a whipping a whole session was proof that he was an extra good boy.
Of course, laughed Mrs Yeager, I did not know then that the little chap we all loved so well would someday be the president or I would have taken notes of his sayings and doings. Indeed, it is a fact that I never knew until after his death that President Lincoln was the same identical little Abe. In those days the Lincoln family pronounced their name, Linkhorn.
One thing I remember very distinctly is seeing him bending down saplings and riding them horses. That was his favorite amusement at playtime.
I would like to thank Diane Hosek, Susan Riney's great-great-great granddaughter, for sending me the interview! The interview was discovered by Diane's aunt, Martina Barker Aldred.
Master Zachariah Riney (who taught Lincoln .. As a Boy) is referred to as "a man of excellent character, deep piety and fair education."
Lincoln had more interaction with Master Riney than historians would have believed. Riney owned a farm adjacent to the Hanks, the family of Abe's mother.
Miss Helen Nicolay, whose father, John G. Nicolay, and John Hay, the late Secretary of State, wrote the one great “Life of Lincoln,” wrote what is considered by authorities, the best “Boys’ Life of Lincoln.” Miss Nicolay says that when Lincoln was four years of age his Parents moved to a “much bigger and better farm on Knob Creek.” “It was,” she says, “while living on this farm that Abraham and his sister, Sarah, first began going to school. Their earliest teacher was Zachariah Riney, who taught near the Lincoln cabin.”
In this connection the following letter is interesting and instructive, for Miss Nicolay truly says “that of the early part of Lincoln’s childhood almost nothing is known.”
In response to an inquiry sent by the United States Marshal, James M. Yeager, whether she was a schoolmate of Lincoln’s, Mrs. Yeager wrote as follows:
Dear Sir: I was very glad to hear from you. Many thanks. Yes, I went to school with Abraham Lincoln. I remember Abe Lincoln well when he was a little bit of a fellow. It was in what is now LaRue county, but then was a part of Hardin county, that Abe Lincoln and I went to the same school. My father, Zachariah Riney, was the teacher. I can see the old school house now. It was built of rough logs as all school houses were in those days. The logs were so arranged at the corners of the building that the ends stuck out and formed little recesses in which the children played at hide and seek. These were favorite hiding places for little Abe. The school house had no windows, but one log removed the whole length of the building served for light and the floor was of dirt. The benches consisted of logs, split in the middle and placed alongside the walls. There was just one bench made of a plank. This was looked upon with envy, and the childred used to fight daily for the privilege of sitting upon it. The school house was situated on Knob Creek where it joins Rolling Ford. I remember that Abe’s sister brought him to school. He was then six years old, and I was ten. They walked a distance of several miles. He was most diligent at his studies. The one thing that I remember best about was his unfailing good humor. He was an extra good boy. He never received a whipping. He was very gentle in his manners. I remember seeing him bend down saplings for horses. This was his favorite amusement at play time. The family moved to Illinois and I never saw them again. I am now nearly ninety-three years of age and do not feel as I did when I went to school and played with little Abe Lincoln.
I hope to hear from you again.
Yours truly,
Susie Yeager.
Rineyville, Ky., Sept. 15, 1897
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
