The casual student of Lincoln probably doesn’t realize that many of his wife’s family members fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. This article describes in brief detail some of Lincoln’s in-laws who fought for the South.

A new book just released, titled “House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, a Family Divided by War” by Stephen Berry describes in detail how Mary Todd Lincoln’s sister and her children were accepted into the White House after the sister’s husband was killed in battle.

Throughout the Civil War, it was rumored in Washington that Mary Todd Lincoln was actually a sympathizer and spy for the Confederacy. A congressional committee was established to investigate these rumors, in turn leading to an extraordinary unannounced appearance by Lincoln at the committee hearings. He denied the rumors with such force, but tinged with sadness, that the committee quietly suspended its investigations of Mrs. Lincoln.