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Greetings, fellow Logans! Clan Logan Society International is all about helping Logans connect. In this issue, you’ll find:

The Logan connection to Abraham Lincoln, by Sean Logan
A Games report by Ed Logan, Clan Convener
What to expect at a Highland Games for first-timers, by Marlee Logan
Oot ‘n Aboot, photos from Highland Games in Texas, by Linda (Logan) Street-Ely

Sean Logan, Clan Genealogist

Circa 1739, a small wooden sailing vessel departed Ireland on a perilous 6–10-week journey to Philadelphia. David Logan, from the Plantation in Ireland, was one of the passengers. David and his wife, Jane McKinley, whom he married, either in Ireland or Philadelphia, then travelled 300 miles on the “Great Wagon Road,” to the Shenandoah Valley in the Virginia Colony.[i] They would have eight children, and through them become the ancestors of many notable descendants. This included two who provided a Logan connection to President Abraham Lincoln. This is the story of those two children, John and Mary, and their descendants.

Mary Logan was likely the eldest child of David and Jane and was probably with them when they arrived in the Virginia Colony prior to May 1740.[ii] John Logan was a middle child born on the 10^th of May 1747 in Augusta County, Virginia.[iii]

In 1775, their brother General Benjamin Logan blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap and settled in Kentucky where he founded Logan’s Station. Between 1775 and 1779, Benjamin was joined by several of his siblings, including John and Mary Logan.[iv] Through this move, John and Mary joined the Briggs, the Todds, and many other famous founders of Kentucky.

Recreation of Logan’s Station Stanford, Kentucky, USA

John Logan’s impact on Kentucky is often understated. He worked his way from the rank of Lieutenant in 1779, to Colonel by 1784.[v] After achieving the rank of Colonel, he was given command of the Lincoln County Militia in 1789.[vi] His political career was even more impressive. In 1788, he was sent to Richmond Virginia to ratify the Constitution of his new nation. He voted against ratification, joining the political movement that forced the incorporation of the Bill of Rights.[vii] In 1792, John Logan became the first Treasurer of he State of Kentucky, a role he filled until his death in 1807.[viii] [ix]

John’s grandson, Stephen Trigg Logan was born in 1800 and was the son of David Logan and Mary Trigg. Stephen Logan had an outstanding legal mind and was admitted to the Kentucky Bar at the age of twenty. In 1834, he moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he first became a Circuit Judge. After a two-year term, he went back into private practice, and in 1841 formed the Logan Lincoln Law firm with Abraham Lincoln. Through this partnership, they became close personally, professionally and politically.[x] [xi]

Stephen Logan played a role in Lincoln’s political career and presidency. As a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1860, he nominated his friend to become the nation’s thirteenth president.[xii] After being elected, Lincoln sent Stephen Logan to attend the Peace Conference, which turned out to be a doomed attempt to avoid what would become known as the Civil War.[xiii] After Lincoln’s assassination, Stephen Logan presented a resolution to the Springfield Bar that lamented the untimely death of President Lincoln. In his speech, he “paid an eloquent tribute to his [Lincoln’s] memory.”[xiv]

Stephen Trigg Logan - Illinois Historical Library

Mary Logan was the great-grandmother of one of the most famous women in U.S. history.

Around 1760, Mary Logan, daughter of David Logan and Jane McKinley, married Samuel Briggs, and they had at least seven children. One was Jane Briggs, born in 1761.[xv] [xvi] [xvii] Jane Briggs married General Levi Todd on the 29^th of February 1779 in Logan’s Station. They settled in Lexington Kentucky, where they would have at least seven children, one of whom was Robert Smith Todd.[xviii] [xix]

Robert was educated at Transylvania University, attending in 1808.[xx] After graduation, he was successful in business, becoming the first president of the Lexington branch of the Bank of Kentucky.[xxi] However, he is most well known for being the father of Mary Todd Lincoln.

Telling Mary Todd Lincoln’s story would require an entire biography. She was a complex person, often misunderstood. Politically astute and a staunch Unionist, she had a marked influence on her husband, whom she advised during his political career.[xxii]

Born in Kentucky, she was one of many Americans who came from families with split loyalty during the Civil war. This was an emotional time, as was reflected in the various reports on the death of her brother Private Samuel Briggs Todd.

The Daily Delta of New Orleans reported:

Mr. Todd was a gallant private in the Crescent Regiment and died in defense of his country against the hireling invaders whom the husband of his sister, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, sent to desolate our country and dishonor our people. It must be a pleasant reflection to Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, amid her vulgar attempts to ape royal fashions, with her balls and soirees at the Federal capital, that a gallant brother should have thus fallen by the hands of her husband’s mercenaries.[xxiii]

As an interesting counterpoint, the Council Bluffs Weekly Bugle in Iowa reported:

Got His Just Desserts.

It is said that Samuel B. Todd, a brother of Mrs. Lincoln, who is reported by the rebels as among their killed at the battle of Shiloh is probably the Lieut. Todd who had charge of our prisoners in Richmond last summer, and who treated them with barbarous cruelty.[xxiv]

Mary Todd Lincoln - Official White House portrait

There you have it. David Logan, an Ulster Scot who came to Virginia around 1739, turned out to be an unknown, yet key figure in American History.

[i] “Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 6, #2, (Ancestry Record 6131 #507544611 : Accessed 21 Apr 2026)), Orange County Virginia Order Book 2”, 1739-1741, pg. 158, names: David Logan, Jane “his wife,” Mary and William, from Ireland to Philadelphia, and “this colony,” 22 May 1740.

[ii] IBID

[iii] “List of Baptisms by Rev. John Craig, Augusta County Virginia, 1740 – 1749”, (L.B. Hatke: Virginia), pg. 8, John Logan, May 10, 1747, father: David Logan, Available online at: Ancestry.com.

[iv] Lewis Collins, “History of Kentucky,” Vol 1, (Covington KY, Collins & Co, 1878), Pg. 12, Soldiers of the County of Kentucky, “Captain Benjamin Logan’s Company,” John Logan, Lieut, probably 1779, also lists Samuel Briggs, Mary Logan’s husband, available online at: archive.org.

[v] “Lincoln. Court Records 1785–1786, 1781–1784,” Database and Image at FamilySearch, (FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSM7-DSPX-F : Accessed 13 Apr 2026), pg. 238, image 270, Lincoln County Kentucky Order Book, Vol. 1, 1781 - 1784, John Logan, November Court, 1784.

[vi] “Lincoln. Court Orders 1791–1794, 1786–1791,” Database and Image at FamilySearch, (FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C3QB-B3TJ-M : Accessed 13 Apr 2026), pg. 360, image 207, Lincoln County Kentucky Order Book, Vol. 3, 1786 - 1791, John Logan Esquire, April Court, 1789.

[vii] Library of Virginia, “Virginia Ratifying Convention Journal, June 25, 1788,” available online at virginia.gov, the journal is available for download, names, Mr. John Logan.

[viii] “Kentucky Gazette”, Lexington, Kentucky, Sat, Jun 23, 1792, pg. 2, “Lexington, June 13,” Available online at: (Kentucky Gazette).

[ix] “The Mirror”, Russelville, Kentucky, Sat, Jul 25, 1807, pg. 2, “Died, at Harrodsburg,” Available online at: (The Mirror).

[x] “The Illinois State Journal”, Springfield, IL, Thu, Jul 22, 1880, pg. 5, “Obituary,” Available online at: (The Illinois State Journal).

[xi] Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library, “Logan, Stephen T.” Available online at: Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library.

[xii] “The State Journal-Register”, Springfield, IL, Sat, May 12, 1860, pg. 2, “Official Proceedings of the Republican State Convention,” Available online at: (The State Journal-Register).

[xiii] “The St Louis Republic”, St. Louis, MO, Mon, Feb 4, 1861, pg. 2, “Illinois Legislature,”Available online at: (The St Louis Republic).

[xiv] “The Illinois State Journal”, Springfield, IL, Wed, Apr 26, 1865, pg. 3, “Meeting of the Members of the springfield Bar,” Available online at: (The State Journal-Register).

[xv] “Lincoln, Kentucky, United States records,” Database and Image at FamilySearch, (FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9P3V-Q21 : Accessed 24 Feb 2026), Lincoln. Will Books 1791–1804, 1781–1791, 1804–1806, pg. 52-55, images 157 & 158, Samuel Briggs, 27 May 1792, Lincoln County, Kentucky.

[xvi] Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #8878167: accessed 5 Apr 2026), Gravestone for Jane Briggs, “wife of Genl. Levi Todd, Born, June 3, 1761, died July 22, 1800,” The Lexington Cemetery, Lexington Kentucky.

[xvii] Draper Collection ,”David Todd & Mann Butler papers, 1810-1859,” Series J, v. 44, #0889165.

[xviii] “Mary Todd Lincoln House,” The Todd Family, available online at mtlhouse.

[xix] “Kentucky. County Court (Fayette County),” Database and Image at FamilySearch, (FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9D5-64BC : Accessed 3 Apr 2026), pg. 42, image 257, Fayette. Will Books 1793–1809, Feb 7, 1809–Oct 9, 1813, “Additional Inventory of the personal estate of Levi Todd,” 31 Dec 1807, names: wife Jane Todd; Heirs: Samuel Todd, Robert S Todd, North Todd, Jane Todd, James C Todd, Maria Todd, John Todd, David Todd, Peggy Todd.

[xx] “Roll of the students of Transylvania University in my time, attempted to be made out in alphabetical order,” by William Leavy. Image courtesy of Transylvania University Special Collections, MSC 17.”

[xxi] WikiLex a History Hub, “Todd, Robert Smith”, Available online at Lexhistory.org.

[xxii] Jean H. Baker, “Mary Todd Lincoln, A Biography,” (W.W. Norton & Company, New York & London).

[xxiii] “The Daily Delta,” New Orleans, Louisiana, Wed Apr 16, 1862, Pg. 2, no title, available online at: Apr 16, 1862, page 2 - The Era at Newspapers.com™ - Newspapers.com™

[xxiv] “Council Bluffs Weekly Bugle,” Council Bluffs, Iowa, Wed May 14 1862, “Got His Just Desserts,” Pg. 2, available online at: May 14, 1862, page 2 - Council Bluffs Weekly Bugle at Newspapers.com™ - Newspapers.com™.

Ed Logan, Clan Convener

The St. Louis Scottish Games and Cultural Festival happened on 16 May 2026, at Schroeder Park in Manchester, Missouri, and Clan Logan was one of the 29 clans to host a clan tent.

This was my first Scottish Games of the year, and I had my eyes on the weather map all week, because the forecast was not what I’d hoped for. There was rain predicted for most of the day, and that always affects the size of the crowds at any outdoor event. But as always, the Games must go on. So, on Friday, one of my younger brothers and I loaded up the tents and tubs and headed to the park to unload and set up the basic clan tent so there would be less work on Saturday morning.

On Games Day, the forecast was not good. Rain would be a threat all day. The weather radar showed rain clouds from St. Louis all the way across Missouri, to Kansas City. Not a good sign. I picked my brother up and headed toward the park. We got within three miles before a very light rain started.

By the time we pulled up to unload the food and beverages, the light rain had stopped. We made some tent adjustments for rain, my brother started his tasks, and I started putting out the materials for display in the tent. Within 10 minutes, my youngest brother also showed up to assist for the day. We got the tents all put together, and ready for the day. I have a rainy-day setup and a clear weather setup. If my two tables are together in the middle of the tent, it’s because there could be rain. They are centered so the raindrops don’t come down from the edge and soak the table and the items on display. I learned from experience. For clear days, the tables are on the perimeter of the tent, so people can come in and look and talk. We got the tents set up with no rain coming down, but that would not last long.

At 9 a.m., the bagpipes broke the silence, and the 2026 St. Louis Games were officially open, allowing the crowd to come forward on the field. It was a good crowd for a potentially rainy day and so early in the day. That only lasted less than an hour, and then the sky opened up and a steady rain started that lasted about 45 minutes. But we were under our tent, staying dry and having our Scottish Grog coffee and Scotch eggs, which has become our tradition going back about 10 years or so. One of my brothers cooks the eggs at about 4:30 a.m. so they are done and still hot when other clans stop by to get Scottish Grog coffee, and maybe an egg.

L-R: John, Kenny, and Ed Logan, Clan Convener

The sky cleared up, even though the rain was not done for the day.

People stopped by the tent and looked at my display. I downsized from years past, from three tables to two, and it seemed to be working out pretty well. I received some nice comments about the display. Finally, a few Logans stopped by.

The first Logan was a charming lady whose mother was the real Logan. I always inquire what line they come from, so I can use the Logan DNA project retractable banner as a way to show information which they might not know. It turned out her mother’s line was from the renown Logan who could have become President of the United States and was a member of Congress at the time of his death. He was a general from the Civil War and had a son who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. That’s right, John Alexander Logan from Illinois. She reminded me of one of my favorite Logans who has done so much for the cause of Logan Genealogy, Stephanie Logan Falls, who helped create the Pre-1800 Logan Group. John Alexander Logan was the frontrunner for President after Grant, and probably would have won, except that he up and died, and the people in the country are a little fickle about electing a dead person. Anyway, she mentioned the Illinois license plate that has “John A. Logan” on it, and I had a package of it on my display table. Well, there were two plates in the package. But now I only have one plate on display; I gave her the second plate to give to her mother, since she was wanting one, and I had two. I figured if she came out on a rainy day, she should get a gift for her mother. The guy who I traded with for the two “John A. Logan” license plates had also stopped by. I traded beer for the plates, and both of us were satisfied with the deal. Now her mother from Limb 7 has her own John Alexander Logan license plate.

By 11:30, after a rather busy morning, it was time to line up for the clan parade. There were 31 clans in the parade. Clan Kincaid was next to us, monitoring the weather, and a rather nasty-looking front was heading right for us. The parade kicked off at 11:45, and we were all announced to the crowd. At my request, the MC announced to the other clans that Clan Logan now has a Commander approved by the Lord Lyon.

The announcer was trying to fit 20 minutes of notes into five minutes, because to the west of us, the lightning was coming nearer. He finally dismissed all the clans instead of us marching off like we marched in, in a row. We didn’t get a hundred feet from our spot when the rain really came down, and that was the end of most of the good crowd. That rain lasted almost two hours before moving off to the east.

We got to watch the athletes, both men and women (none were pros), compete when it was not raining. The clan tents were on three sides of the athletic field. We also went over to see the many vendors who help make the Games what they are, like the kilt vendor, who was in a new location this year. It seems our little Games are back and growing again.

All in all, it was a very pleasant day hosting the Clan Logan tent. We rekindled our friendship with the many clans that show up every year and met clans who attended for the first time.

Marlee L. Logan, Clan Logan Society International

If you have never attended a Highland Games before, you are in for a memorable experience. Imagine the sound of bagpipes echoing across the mountains, athletes tossing cabers, Highland dancers performing with incredible precision, and families gathering under clan tents to celebrate Scottish heritage. It is part sporting event, part cultural festival, and part family reunion.

While the exact origins of the Highland Games are difficult to document, tradition holds that they grew from competitions organized by kings and clan chiefs to identify the strongest and most capable men for service as warriors, messengers, and retainers.

Over time, these events evolved into celebrations of Scottish culture and community that are now enjoyed around the world. Today, Highland Games are held not only in Scotland, but also throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.

While no two Highland Games are exactly alike, most follow a similar format throughout the day.

The festivities often begin with an opening parade featuring pipe bands, athletes, dancers, and honored guests marching onto the Games field. Once the ceremonies conclude, the competitions begin and the excitement quickly builds.

For many spectators, the athletic events are the main attraction. The caber toss is usually the crowd favorite, drawing everyone to the field to watch competitors attempt to turn a massive wooden pole end over end. Despite popular belief, the goal is not distance but a clean, straight flip, with the caber landing as close to the twelve o’clock position as possible.

But the caber toss is only one of several traditional events. Athletes also compete in contests such as the hammer throw, stone put, and weight for height. Each one of these requires strength, skill, and good technique. Many Games also include foot races and other competitions, and some even offer opportunities for spectators to join in the fun.

However, the Highland Games are about far more than athletics. Throughout the day, dancers compete in traditional Highland dances, including the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance, while pipe bands and solo pipers provide music across the grounds. The sound of the pipes, the sight of tartans, and the friendly gathering of clans all contribute to the atmosphere that makes the Games a uniquely Scottish celebration.

Of course, one of the best parts of attending a Highland Games is visiting the clan tents. Clan societies welcome visitors who are curious about their Scottish roots, interested in history, or simply looking to connect with others who share their surname and heritage. Even if you are just beginning your family history journey, you will quickly discover that the Scottish community is warm, welcoming, and always ready to share stories.

Clan Logan Society International will be hosting tents and gatherings at several Highland Games during the 2026 season, including:

● Georgia Mountain Scottish Festival and Highland Games
Hiawassee, Georgia | 6–7 June 2026
Host: Ed Logan

● Grandfather Mountain Scottish Games
Linville, North Carolina | 9–12 July 2026
Host: Randy Horne

● City of Inverness Highland Games
Inverness, Scotland| 11 July 2026
Host: Tricia Logan-Locke

● St. Andrew’s Society of Detroit 177th Highland Games
Livonia, Michigan | 31 July–1 August 2026
Host: J. Kevin Logan

● Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival – 50th Anniversary
Estes Park, Colorado | 11–13 September 2026
Host: Ginny Lightsey-Ceehorne

Whether you have Scottish ancestry or simply enjoy the music, history, athletics, and fellowship, Highland Games offer something for everyone. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended. So is arriving hungry, because the food vendors alone are worth the trip. You can usually find shortbread, meat pies, fish and chips, Scotch eggs, and enough tea and sweets to make your ancestors proud.

Most importantly, do not be afraid to stop by a clan tent and say hello. Many lifelong friendships and family discoveries begin with a simple conversation across a folding table under a tartan banner.

For a worldwide listing of Highland Games and Scottish heritage festivals, visit:
Highland Games & Festivals

You can also watch a wonderful introduction to the traditions and history of the Highland Games here:
What Happens at a Highland Games? (YouTube)

Are you attending a Highland Games this year? We would love to see your photos from the Games, clan tents, parades, pipe bands, family gatherings, and Scottish adventures for our Oot ‘n Aboot section in a future newsletter.

Please send your photos and a short description to:
newsletter@clanlogansociety.org

Be sure to include your name, the event location, and any Logan connections or stories you would like to share. You just might spot yourself in an upcoming issue of Logan Connections!

Linda (Logan) Street-Ely

Who’da thunk it? Highland Games in Nacogdoches, Texas? I heard about it just days before the event. Here’s a bit of sharing from the day, with many thanks to Marlee Logan for arranging the photos in collages.

The event was held as a benefit for the local fire department.

Talked with all the clan representatives except for Clan Thompson, who is super busy running this festival. This is only their 2nd year, and they’ve done a remarkable job. Impressive for a small town in Texas and not much experience under their belt.

Had a great conversation with Anita Dupree of Clan MacEwen, and told her how helpful Ross has been to us.

Also learned about “Clan Chattan,” a conglomerate of clans that I understand banded together for strength against the big ones, like Clan Campbell (back in the day). Interesting motto - “Don’t touch the cat, touch the glove,” because if you touch the cat other than softly, the claws come out. Cool story.