Birth.-His father and mother.-History of Thomas Lincoln and his family a necessary part of Abraham Lincoln's biography.-Thomas Lincoln's ancestors.-Members of the family remaining in Virginia.-Birth of Thomas Lincoln.-Removal to Kentucky.-Life in the Wilderness.-Lincolns settle in Mercer County.-Thomas Lincoln's father shot by Indians.-Widow and family remove to Washington County.-Thomas poor.-Wanders into Breckinridge County.-Goes to Hardin County.-Works at the carpenter's trade.-Cannot read or write.-Personal appearance.-Called "Linckhom," or "Linckhera."-Thomas Lincoln as a carpenter.-Marries Nancy Hanks.-Previously courted Sally Bush.-Character of Sally Bush.-The person and character of Nancy Hanks.-Thomas and Nancy Lincoln go to live in a shed.-Birth of a daughter.-They remove to Nolin Creek.-Birth of Abraham.-Removal to Knob Creek.-Little Abe initiated into wild sports.-His sadness.-Goes to school.-Thomas Lincoln concludes to move.-Did not fly from the taint of slavery.-Abraham Lincoln always reticent about the history and character of his family.-Record in his Bible... 1

Thomas Lincoln builds a boat.-Floats down to the Ohio.-Boat capsizes.-Lands in Perry County, Indiana.-Selects a location.-Walks back to Knob Creek for wife and children.-Makes his way through the wilderness.-Settles between the two Pigeon Creeks.-Gentry ville.-Selects a site.-Lincoln builds a half-faced camp.-Clears ground and raises a small crop.-Dennis Hanks.-Lincoln builds a cabin.-State of the country.-Indiana admitted to the Union.-Rise of Gentryville.-Character of the people.-Lincoln's patent for his land.-His farm, cabin, furniture.-The milk-sickness.-Death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln.-Funeral discourse by David Elkin.-Grave.-Tom Lincoln marries Sally Bush.-Her goods and chattels.-Her surprise at the poverty of the Lincoln cabin.-Clothes and comforts Abe and his sister.-Abe leads a new life.-Is sent to school.-Abe's appearance and dress.-Learning "manners"-Abe's essays.-Tenderness for animals.-The last of school.-Abe excelled the masters.-Studied privately.-Did not like to work.-Wrote on wooden shovel and boards.-How Abe studied.-The books he read.-The "Revised Statute of Indiana."-Did not read the Bible.-No religious opinions.-How he behaved at home.-Touching recital by Mrs. Lincoln.-Abe's memory.-Mimicks the preachers.-Makes "stump-speeches" in the field.-Cruelly maltreated by his father.-Works out cheerfully.-Universal favorite.-The kind of people he lived amongst.-Mrs. Crawford's reminiscences.-Society about Gentryville. -His step-mother.-His sister.-The Johnstons and Hankses.-Abe a ferryman and farm-servant.-His work and habits.-Works for Josiah Crawford.-Mrs. Crawford's account of him.-Crawford's books.-Becomes a wit and a poet.-Abe the tallest and strongest man in the settlement.-Hunting in the Pigeon Creek region.-His activity.-Love of talking and reading.-Fond of rustic sports.-Furnishes the literature.-Would not be slighted.-His satires.-Songs and chronicles.-Gentryville as "a centre of business."-Abe and other boys loiter about the village.-Very temperate.-"Clerks" for Col. Jones.-Abe saves a drunken man's life.-Fond of music.-Marriage of his sister Nancy.-Extracts from his copy-book.-His Chronicles.-Fight with the Grigs-bys.-Abe "the big buck of the lick."-"Speaking meetings" at Gentryville.-Dennis Hanks's account of the way he and Abe became so learned.-Abe attends a court.-Abe expects to be President.-Going to mill.-Kicked in the head by a horse.-Mr. Wood.-Piece on temperance.-On national politics.-Abe tired of home.-Works for Mr. Gentry.-Knowledge of astronomy and geography.-Goes to New Orleans.-Counterfeit money.-Fight with negroes.-Scar on his face. -An apocryphal story...........19

Abe's return from New Orleans.-Sawing planks for a new house.-The milk-sickness.-Removal to Illinois.-Settles near Decatur.-Abe leaves home.-Subsequent removals and death of Thomas Lincoln.-Abe's relations to the family.-Works with John Hanks after leaving home.-Splitting rails.-Makes a speech on the improvement of the Sangamon River.-Second voyage to New Orleans.-Loading and departure of the boat.-"Sticks" on New Salem dam.-Abe's contrivance to get her off.-Model in the Patent Office.-Arrival at New Orleans.-Negroes chained.-Abe touched by the sight.-Returns on a steamboat.-Wrestles with Daniel Needham.........73