The pioneer boy and how he became president : the story of the life of Abraham Lincoln

Front matter

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Preface

THE author of this volume wrote the first Life of Abraham Lincoln — The Pioneer Boy, and HOW HE BECAME PRESIDENT — which, after a very large sale, passed out of print in consequence of the destruction of the plates by fire. A Campaign Life of only thirty-two pages, relating chiefly to his public career, was issued at the West, after his nomination for the Presidency in i860 ; but " The Pioneer Boy " was the first complete biography of the man. Dr. Holland said of it, several years later, in his Life of Lincoln : "A singularly faithful statement of the early experience of Abraham Lincoln." The materials for the Campaign Life spoken of were furnished by Mr. Lincoln, and he very kindly directed that pamphlet, with a quantity of unused matter, to be passed into our hands, together with the names and addresses of several of his early associates reared with him in the wilderness, and of intimate friends in later hfe, from whom the most valuable information, never before given to the public, was received. From these sources of knowledge " The Pioneer Boy " was prepared.

In the preparation of this new, larger, and more elaborate Life of Lincoln, we have had, in addition to the above sources of information, others of even greater vi PREFACE.

value, at least so far as his character and public services relate.

Subsequent to the issue of the former volume, the author, having in view the preparation of a more thorough biography at a future day, gathered much valuable information from public men, who were on the most intimate terms with President Lincoln at Washington, as Sumner, Wilson, Buckingham, and Ames, who are dead, and others who are still living. Also, periodical literature has furnished many facts and anecdotes from time to time, which have been carefully laid aside. Last, though by no means least, access to the numerous lives of Lincoln published since his death — Dr. Holland's, Lamon's, Barrett's, Leland's, Forney's, and Raymond's — has been especially serviceable in the preparation of this volume. That very interesting work of Carpenter — Six Months in the White House — has furnished a fund of incident, illustrative of Mr. Lincoln's character and ability.

From these ample sources of material, the author has endeavoured to make a biography for popular reading such as the times demand. The very large sale of his recent life of President Garfield — " From Log-Cabin to the White House " — created an active demand for "The Pioneer Boy," which fact seemed to mark the present time as appropriate for the issue of this new life of the martyr President.

The perusal of this work will satisfy the reader that the author's claim, in the Preface to the " Log-Cabin," that Garfield and Lincoln were remarkably alike in the circumstances of birth, early struggles, and later experience, was fully justified. The fact is without a parallel in the history of public men — such marvellous coincidences from their birth in log-cabins to their

PREFACE. vii

assassination in the White House. Apart from this Hkeness, however, the Hfe of Lincoln as an example of industry, tact, perseverance, application, energy, economy, honesty, purity, devotion to principle, and triumph over obstacles in a successful career, presents a profitable study to the youth and young men of this and other lands. The only parallel to it is that of President Garfield, with which we aim to connect this later volume. The names of these two illustrious statesmen are for ever associated in the history of the American Republic. It is well-nigh impossible to separate them in the thoughts of men. Statesmen of such power and influence, beginning their lives in want and obscurity and ending them in the White House, cut off at last by the shot of the assassin, must find their niche together in the temple of fame. One other name only of the great and good men of the past naturally affiliates with these two — that of George Washington, the life of whom will follow this as soon as it can be prepared. These three — Washington, Lincoln, and Garfield — remarkably alike in their early precocity and the wisdom and influence of manhood — furnish stimulating examples to American and English readers.

Incidents are brought to the front in this life of Lincoln, as they were in that of Garfield, and they are made to portray the life of the man. Facts are better than logic to exhibit the elements of personal character ; therefore we let incidents tell the story of his life.

When Abraham Lincoln was consulted respecting his biography, after his nomination for the Presidency in i860, he replied: "You can find the whole of my early life in a single line of Gray's Elegy :

" ' The short and simple annals of the poor.' "

viii PREFACE.

While this apt reply revealed the simplicity of the man, it introduced the biographer at once to the opening of a marvellous life. For, surely, that is a marvellous life, when a boy, reared in a floorless log-cabin, works his way, by dint of perseverance, upward and onward into the highest office of the land.

The chief object of the book is to show how its hero won his position ; yet it incidentally exhibits the manners and customs of the times, and section of country, in which he was reared.

Provincialisms are intentionally avoided, as well as that singular perversion of the English language that characterized the unlettered people of Kentucky and Indiana sixty years ago.

When Mr. Lincoln was alive, and the honoured President of the United States, one of his old friends and neighbours wrote to us : "I have known him long and well, and I can say in truth, I think (take him altogether) he is the best man I ever saw. Although he has never made a public profession of religion, I nevertheless believe that he has the fear of God before his eyes, and that he goes daily to a throne of grace, and asks wisdom, light, and knowledge, to enable him faithfully to discharge his duties." The reader will find abundant confirmation of the friend's eulogy in this volume.

W. M. T.

Contents

BIRTHPLACE.

Cabin-home on Nolin Creek — Father and Mother — Ancestors in Virginia— Indians, and Grandfather killed by them — A Dark Day —Tales of Abraham's Childhood —Battle with Indians— Capture of Three Girls— His Father's Youth— Learning Carpenter's Trade — Could not Read or Write — Learning of his Wife — Members of Baptist Church— His Mother— On Knob Creek — Abraham Fishing and Hunting — Dennis Hanks — Furniture of his House .

II. A Schoolboy

Riney's School — Reading only Taught — Hazel's School — How to get the Money — Indiana a Free State — Few and Poor Schools — Four Miles Away — The Lincoln Library — Religious Advantages — Elder Elkins — Reading the Bible — Familiar with Bible through Life — Incidents of His Parents' desire to Educate him — Decision to Move to Indiana — Gallaher's Interest — A Conversation — Land Titles — Real Cause of Removal to Indiana, a Free State .

III. The Old Home Sold

Colby's Arrival — His Proposition — It Awakens Surprise — The Farm Sold for Whiskey — Not Singular then — Preparations to Move — ■ Settlement— Starting on Flat-boat — On the Ohio — Upset in the River — Saved — Recovery of Part of Goods — Thompson's Ferry —

CONTENTS.

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Moved by Posey to Interior — Gave Boat for Moving — Spot Selected — Going Back for Family — Heroism of Western Females then — Indians — Seven Days on the Journey l8

IV. A New Home Made

The Axe a Symbol of Pioneer Life — Strength Developed — Incident Forty Years Later — Erecting a Half-faced Camp — How Abe began Pioneer Life — Built Log-house next Year — Described — Putting up a Bed — Making Table and Stools — Abe's Parlour Chamber — The Home-made Grist-mill — Process of making it — How Pioneer Families got Meal— Reading in his New Home — Improving in Penmanship — Surroundings described — No Water near — How got this Farm — Spencer County — State of Society Two Years later, and Physical Condition described by Turnham — Mrs. Lincoln against Drinking Customs 31

V. After Game

His First Shot— Talking over Loss on Ohio— The Flock of Turkeys— A Large One killed— Abe Lincoln surprised — Dependent on Hunting for Food— Skill of Pioneer Hunters —Their Standard— Snuffing a Candle — Arrival of Thomas and Betsey Sparrow — A Happy Day — God-send to Abraham 44

VI. Darker Days

Hungry for Knowledge— Wants other Books than Bible— The "Milk- Disease " — Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow sick — Nursing them — Their Death and Burial— Mrs. Lincoln's Brief Sickness — Neighbour's Sympathy and Skill- Her Speedy Death— Buried on the Knoll- Abe's Letter to Parson Elkins— His first Letter— Neighbours surprised—Writing Letters for them— Parson Elkins comes— His Welcome — His Funeral Sermon — Impression upon Abraham — Character and Power of Pioneer Preachers— A Remarkable Example— These Preachers and Abraham's Early Life ... 50

CONTENTS. xi

VII. Brighter Hours

PAGE

Copy of "Pilgrim's Progress ' — His Surprise — .^sop's Fables — A Treasure and its Influence — Books Interfere with Work — His Father's Reproof — Writing Name on the Earth — Charged with Laziness — The Charge repelled — Common to call Students Lazy — None Lazy v.'ho Improve every Moment — At Baldwin's Shop — Seeking Entertainment— Ramsay's "Life of Washington" read — "Robinson Crusoe " his Delight 65

VIII. A New Mother And Schools

Mr. Lincoln's Home Untidy — Need of a Wife and Mother — Remembers a Friend of his Early Manhood — Married — Brings his Bride Home — Her "Household Stuff" — The Second Mrs. Lincoln Better Educated than the First — Has Floor made and Windows supplied — Abraham's Welcome to his Stepmother and her Children — What Dennis Hanks says — Dennis Married one of her Daughters — Dorsey opens School — School-house described — Arithmetic^ " Trapping up " — Crawford's School — Crawford's Influence — His Prophecy about Abe — Example of Abe's Honesty — What Nat Grigsby says — Abe's Compositions — Opposes Cruelty to Animals — Defends a Terrapin — His Plea — Crawford's Praise — The Rule of Thi-ee — Peacemaker — An Example — Best Spelling — Spelling D-e-f-i-e-d — Teaching "Manners" — Abe's Appearance — Swaney's School — ^John Hanks 74

IX. Borrowing, And What Came Of It

Talk about Washington — Weems' Life of Washington — Borrowing the Book — Consequences of Borrowing Books — Pleasant Hours — A Rain ruins the Book — Sorrowing over it — Proposition to Crawford, the Owner — His Extortion— A Hard Man— Cuts Three Acres of Fodder to Pay for Book — Afterwards worked for Crawford, with his Sister — "The Kentucky Preceptor" — Appearance of Josiah Crawford — His Nose in Abe's Verse and "Chronicles" — What Mrs. Crawford says about his being President— Abraham kicked seriously by a Horse — "Cluck" 89 xii CONTENTS.