Grace Bedell and How She Influenced Abraham Lincoln

Grace Bedell, though not a famous figure in history, has certainly not been forgotten. She did not play a huge role in any important American event, yet she is remembered right next to Abraham Lincoln in a statue in Westfield, New York and in a monument in Delphos, Kansas.

The reason that Grace Bedell is remembered at all by people today is because of a short, and very opinionated letter she sent to Abraham Lincoln during his campaign for the United States presidency.

The letter that 11 year old Grace Bedell sent on October 15, 1860 to soon to be President elect Lincoln strongly urged him to grow a beard. She felt that this would increase his popularity greatly and get him more votes. She wrote that his face was thin and that a beard would help his appearance. Also, she said that women would be more likely to vote for him because they would like the beard.

Abraham Lincoln received this letter and replied to little Grace Bedell. He said in his letter that people might find a beard "silly" at the time. Though his letter made it seem like he may not take the little girl's advice, Lincoln had a full beard only a few weeks after the letter arrived. This beard is of course well known now and is an important feature of arguably America's greatest president.

The statue of Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln that now stands in Westfield, New York was erected in 1999. The statue was put up to commemorate the meeting of Lincoln and Bedell after his presidential election. The letters written between Bedell and Lincoln are also engraved on a monument in her home as an adult, Delphos, Kansas. The inscription, "Delphos: the Home of Lincoln's Little Correspondent," is also on the monument.

Bedell lived in New York until she was 17 years old and then was married and moved to Delphos, Kansas. She married George Billings, a retired Civil War seargent. Grace Billings died on November 2, 1936 at the age of 87.

The letter than Grace Bedell wrote to Lincoln was last known to be owned by a private collector. It was placed on sale in the 1990's for a price of $1 million.