The toll taken by the Civil War, with its horrific losses, and the possible break up of the Union weighed heavily on the man. To these were added his own personal tragedies, especially the death of his two sons, four-year old Edward in 1850 and twelve-year old Willie in 1862. Lincoln himself was confronted by death early in his own childhood — his baby brother Thomas died when Abraham was three and when, ten, his beloved mother, Nancy Hanks, died. His childhood and youth were rigorous, those of a pioneer: clearing the settlement, which was still wild and untamed and living with a modicum of comfort. It should not be deemed a folly to conclude that, despite a ready wit and a keen sense of humour, Lincoln retained a melancholic aspect to his personality from his early years.