Mrs. Lincoln spent the next four years traveling throughout Europe and took up residence in Pau , France . Her final years were marked by declining health . She suffered from severe cataracts that reduced her eyesight ; this condition may have contributed to her increasing susceptibility to falls . In 1879 , she suffered spinal cord injuries in a fall from a stepladder . She traveled to New York in 1881 and lobbied for an increased pension after the assassination of President Garfield raised the issue of provisions for his family . She faced a difficult battle , due to negative press over her spending habits and rumors about her handling of her personal finances , including $ 56,000 in government bonds left to her by her husband . Congress eventually granted the increase , along with an additional monetary gift . Shortly afterwards , she returned to Springfield and her health deteriorated until she died a few months later
assassination of President Garfield
Assassination of James A. Garfield
Mary Todd Lincoln