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ABRAHAM LINCOLN Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. When he was two, the Lincoln’s moved a few miles to another farm on the Cumberland Trail. A year later, his mother gave birth to another boy, Thomas, but he died a few days later. When Lincoln was seven his family moved to Indiana. In 1818, Lincoln’s mother died from a deadly disease called “milk sickness.” Then ten years later his sister died leaving him only with his father and stepmother. Lincoln traveled to New Salem in April 1831 and settled there the following July. During 1832 Lincoln enlisted in the 31st regiment and became captain. Later that year he re-enlisted with Captain Jacob Early’s independent spy company at Fort Wilbourn. In August he ran as a candidate for the Illinois legislature but was defeated eighth out of thirteen candidates. Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem the following year and in 1834 was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in his second bid for office. In the fall of 1836 he and Mrs. Bennett Abel made a deal that if she brought her single sister to New Salem he had to promise to marry her. When she arrived he was not pleased with her because her skin was full of fat