Lincoln in story; the life of the martyr-president told in authenticated anecdotes

Introduction

Whei^ a boy, the writer listened to the sturdy eloquence of Lincoln. He was in the old " Wigwam '' at Chicago when Lincoln was nominated for the presidency, and witnessed the frantic demonstration of enthusiasm when the rails he had split were produced in the convention. Later he saw Lincoln's face, in the silence and calmness of lasting repose, after the assassin had accomplished his death. These small personal associations have strengthened the writer's feeling that the greater the intimacy with Lincoln's life which one can gain, the stronger, better, and more humane one may become.

The memories of such a pure, imseliish, and honest character will form a shield for the individual and a bulwark for a nation.

l^early every Life of the Martyr President, or Book of Recollections, so far published, has contained some anecdotes which have given us an occasional glimpse into the realms of his great soul — a rare gem, disclosing the prismatic colors of a cosmic nature — but no volume has been devoted exclusively to narratives.

vi LINCOLN IN STORY

The great interest shown, especially by the younger generation, in the fugitive Lincoln stories which have appeared in various magazines and journals from time to time, no less than the writer's personal enjoyment of those found scattered through the larger works, as well as the hope of inspiring additional interest in the study of his more (Complete history, has been the incentive of this compilation.

It is also a pleasure to record the statements of the artist B. F. Carpenter, who for six months lived at the White House with Lincoln; the Hon. William H. Seward, his Secretary of State; and the Rev. Mr. Bristow, of I^ew York, that they never heard the President tell any anecdote which could not have been repeated with propriety in the presence of ladies, thus indicating that the habits acquired " on the circuit '' in Illinois had been outgrown in the more serious and lofty ideals of the statesman.

While these stories do not offer a complete life history, they are presented in chronological order, as far as possible, and the salient points of Lincoln's life are briefly mentioned, thus forming a warp upon which the various anecdotes are woven. The book, therefore, offers a biography in story form which it is hoped will prove of interest to older as well as younger readers, and of value to private and public libraries as well as to school li-

INTRODUCTION vii

braries and reading circles, since I believe there lias been no such consecutive presentation of Lincoln's life through the medium of anecdotes.

Many stories are quoted as told by individuals, and frequently, the forms of speech, quaint and full of " local color," are less elegant, perhaps, than true.

It has seemed to the writer, in compiling these narratives, that a new estimate of Lincoln's character was brought out; that the stature of goodness was increased far beyond that of even our great men; .that the humanity, tenderness, love of mankind, willingness to help, and joy in making others happy, was indeed godlike; added to this, the spirit of toleration and forbearance exercised toward his enemies, and we realize the truthfulness of John Hay's estimate in a letter to Mr. Herndon :

" I consider Lincoln's republicanism incarnate, with all its faults and virtues. As, in spite of some rudeness, republicanism is the sole hope of a sick world, so Lincoln, with all his foibles, is the greatest character since Christ."

The stories have been gleaned from various sources: notably from that excellent book Abraham Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life, by William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Weik, and also Carpenter's Eecollections, Chittenden's Eecollections of Lincoln's Administration, Wallace's, viii LINCOLN IN STORY

Eice's, Arnold's, Lamon's, and Whitney's books, and a few signed articles in newspapers and journals, sucli as the I^ew York World and Home Journal, but no anecdote is given which has not been carefully verified.

If this little volume gives to the reader but a tithe of the pleasure it has brought the writer in his labor of compilation, and if it should awaken a new interest in the rugged life of the " greatest character since Christ,'' it will serve the purpose for which it was written.

S. G. Pkatt.

Lincoln's stepsister meets with an accident — He insists upon her telling the truth — Lincoln is nearly killed at the mill by his horse — Captain Larkins's fast horse 11-15

Chapter IV

Lincoln's great strength — How he earned his first dollar, as told by himself — He saves a man from freezing to death — Attacked by negroes on the Mississippi River 16-23

X LINCOLN IN STORY

FOURTH PERIOD : MANHOOD CHAPTER V

Lincoln rescues the pet dog — Begins work for himself — Builds a log house and splits rails — Again goes to New Orleans — An exciting adventure — Lincoln helps to save the lives of three men 23-30

CHAPTER Yl

Lincoln and the " Clary's Grove boys "—His wrestling match with Jack Armstrong — Lincoln walks six miles to return six cents — He " chops up " a house for a barefooted man — Elected captain in the "Black Hawk " War — How he managed to get his company "endwise" — Lincoln saves the life of a defenseless Indian 31-39

CHAPTER VII

Enters into politics and gets all but three votes in New Salem — Studies law barefooted on a wood-pile — Lincoln cradles wheat to win votes — Story of Lincoln's betrothal to Anne Rutledge — Her sudden death nearly unseats Lincoln's reason — Elected to the Legislature — The lightning rod and Forquier's guilty conscience 40-49

FIFTH PERIOD : THE LEGISLATOR-THE LAWYER

CHAPTER VIII

Joshua Speed's story of Lincoln's first appearance as a lawyer in Springfield — Campaign expenses, seventy-five cents — Demands free speech for a friend — Wins a farmer's wife with stories, while his opponent milked her cow — Lends a poor acquaintance his horse

CONTENTS xi to locate land — Rescues a pig — " An almighty small crop of fight " — The old blue sock and Government money — The wild boar story and the unjust judge — Lincoln's " Slow Horse " story — Lincoln marries — Partner of Logan — Of Herndon — Makes speeches for Clay — Elected to Congress— His eloquent appeal saves two young men from committing a dishonest act . 50-69

CHAPTER IX

Lincoln carries a little girl's trunk to the station — His little boy runs naked from his bath — The widow's pension case — " Skin Wright and Close " — Lincoln studies poetry — He gives a mean lawyer some good advice — Gives his opponents their case — His defense of William Armstrong 70-82

CHAPTER X

Lincoln again enters politics — His anti-Nebraska speech — Chosen to answer Douglas — Assists in organizing the Republican party — An audience of two — Challenges " the Little Giant " to debate — Speech on the Declaration of Independence — The question which defeated him for the Senate — The " bulwark of liberty " speech — Nominated and elected President — Prophetic soliloquy — He leaves Springfield — The plot to assassinate him at Baltimore .... 83-103

CHAPTER XI

Events leading up to the great civil war — Treason in the Cabinet of President Buchanan — Secession of the Southern States — Ex-Senator Dawes describes Lincoln's arrival in Washington — Loyalty of General xii LINCOLN IN STORY

PAGBS

Scott — Firing on Fort Sumter — Call for seventy-five thousand troops-^Massachusetts regiment mobbed in Baltimore — Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts troops defend the Capitol — The great uprising of the North — Douglas's loyalty — His famous speech — Lincoln opposes General Scott's plan of the battle of Bull Run— Defeat of the Union army . . 104-114

CHAPTER XII

The sleeping sentinel and the President — Lincoln visits the condemned soldier and pardons him — The sentinel becomes a hero in battle, and dies a glorious death 115-128

CHAPTER XIII

" A little more light and a little less noise " — Lincoln's *' Cheese Box " — The President's experience as a boatman on the Mississippi gives us the Monitor in opposition to the entire naval board^Battle of the Monitor and Merrimac — Badly scared millionaires of New York rebuiled by the President — " The girl with a singing in her head "—A mysterious Englishman advances five million dollars to the Government . 129-148

CHAPTER XIV

Lincoln's "leg cases" — He dismisses a Union officer for treasonable language — The widow and her wounded son — Plow Lincoln " plowed around " the Governor — The presidential " chin-fly " story — Making a minister out of mud — Lincoln writes a pardon while in bed — The sick drummer boy — The poor woman and her two sons 149-166

CHAPTER XV

" It was the baby did it "—The President ejects an insolent officer — A Union officer dismissed by Stanton for

CONTENTS xiii speaking in favor of McClellan restored by Lincoln — At the battle of Fort Stevens Lincoln obeys a lieutenant — Sitting for his portrait — He repeats passages from Shakespeare — " Why should the spirit of mortal be proud ? " — Lincoln's angry reply to Joseph Medill and his Chicaso friends 167-181

CHAPTER XVI

SHORT STORIES, IDEAS, AND QUOTATIONS

Lincoln's own estimate of his mental powers — Sentence in Calhoun's speech — General Grant's peculiar whisky His reply to a titled applicant — Canvased hams — The jack-knife story — Brigadiers and horses — Size of Confederate army — " There's one of my children isn't dead yet " — The strict judge—" On the Lord's side " The henpecked husband — "How many legs will a sheep have ? " — The three pigeons on a fence — " Not rebels, but Confederates " . . . . . 181-190

CHAPTER XVII

The complaining Governor and the squealing boy — " By Jingo ! Butler or no Butler, here goes " — Lincoln tells a story to General Grant — Gives freedom to many imprisoned for resisting the draft — The Gettysburg address 191-200

CHAPTER XVIII

Second inauguration — The President at Petersburg is mistaken for a rebel — The Confederate Government destroyed — Lincoln's entry into Richmond — General Pickett's wife and the President — His last official act was to save a life — His assassination — His Code of War adopted at the Peace Conference at The Hague 201-214 xiv LINCOLN IN STORY

CHAPTER XIX

AFTERWARD

A personal experience at a little village in the heart of

Switzerland 215-217