Slate has titled this, “It’s Not You, It’s Me”, which I’m sure Lincoln would openly subtitle, “(It Was Totally Her)”.

Those who’ve read Team of Rivals will know about Lincoln’s sit-com worthy romantic entanglement with Mary Owens. (And those who haven’t, should!)  Here, Slate has provided a scanned copy of what Kearns Goodwin called one of the least romantic offers of marriage ever.

To her credit, Mary turned him down, and Lincoln was left to laugh with friends about how spurned he felt by the one he didn’t want in the first place.

Abraham Lincolns letter to Mary Owens: breaking off an engagement that wasnt.