Eliza Mitchell
Cite this Page
"Eliza Mitchell," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/358.
- Position
- Cook
- Years in President's House
- circa 1857 – 1868
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Female
- Race/Ethnicity
- Black or African American
- Biography
- Little is known about Eliza “Lizzie” Mitchell’s early life. She first appears in President Andrew Johnson’s White House payroll as a cook in June 1865.1 She remained in this role for several years and was listed as head cook by January 1867.2 Mitchell appeared in records as late as February 1868, though it is plausible she stayed on staff until President Johnson’s term ended.3 The history of Eliza Mitchell intersects with that of another White House Cook, Cornelia Mitchell, who is remembered serving around the same time. Lincoln historian John E. Washington recounted Cornelia’s story in his book They Knew Lincoln, based on an interview in 1940 with her “daughter’s beau,” nearly eighty years after her reported service. According to this account, Cornelia was from the South and began working at the White House during the presidency of James Buchanan. She remained on staff after President Lincoln’s Inauguration and earned praise for her cooking, described as “good enough to be set before a king.”4 Because of their shared surname, similar roles, and overlapping time frames, Cornelia and Lizzie may have been related or even the same person. No known primary evidence confirms Mitchell’s service under Presidents Buchanan or Lincoln at this time. Often, retrospective accounts link individuals to prominent presidents, such as Lincoln, thereby complicating the historical record.
- Andrew Johnson Papers: Series 10, Financial Records, 1829–1877; Bills, 1835–1868, Oct., Image 72. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss27839.mss27839-051_0376_1142/?sp=72&st=image&r=0.041,0.174,1.041,0.568,0.
- Andrew Johnson Papers: Series 10, Financial Records, 1829–1877; Bills, 1835–1868, Oct., Image 417. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss27839.mss27839-051_0376_1142/?sp=417&st=image&r=-0.393,0.276,1.568,0.855,0.
- Andrew Johnson Papers: Series 10, Financial Records, 1829–1877; Bills, 1835–1868, Oct., Image 705. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss27839.mss27839-051_0376_1142/?sp=705&st=image&r=0.286,0.154,0.758,0.413,0
- John E. Washington, They Knew Lincoln (New York: Dutton, 1942) 119-120.
- Birthplace
- Unclear From Context
- Unclear From Context
- Related Workers
- Kate FletcherKitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1865
- Maria JacksonKitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1865 – 1867
- Matilda ShugenKitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1867
- Josephine ShorterKitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1868