Lincoln's Yarns and Stories [81]
a nubbin that I ever saw."
President Lincoln had a friendly conference, but presented his ultimatum that the one and only condition of peace was that Confederates "must cease their resistance."
SENT TO HIS "FRIENDS."
During the Civil War, Clement L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, had shown himself, in the National House of Representatives and elsewhere, one of the bitterest and most outspoken of all the men of that class which insisted that "the war was a failure." He declared that it was the design of "those in power to establish a despotism," and that they had "no intention of restoring the Union." He denounced the conscription which had been ordered, and declared that men who submitted to be drafted into the army were "unworthy to be called free men." He spoke of the President as "King Lincoln."
Such utterances at this time, when the Government was exerting itself to the utmost to recruit the armies, were dangerous, and Vallandigham was arrested, tried by court-martial at Cincinnati, and sentenced to be placed in confinement during the war,
General Burnside, in command at Cincinnati, approved the sentence, and ordered that he be sent to Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor; but the President ordered that he be sent "beyond our lines into those of his friends." He was therefore escorted to the Confederate lines in Tennessee, thence going to Richmond. He did not meet with a very cordial reception there, and finally sought refuge in Canada.
Vallandigham died in a most peculiar way some years after the close of the War, and it was thought by many that his death was the result of premeditation upon his part.
GO DOWN WITH COLORS FLYING.
In August, 1864, the President called for five hundred thousand more men. The country was much depressed. The Confederates had, in comparatively small force, only a short time before, been to the very gates of Washington, and returned almost unharmed.
The Presidential election was impending. Many thought another call for men at such a time would insure, if not destroy, Mr. Lincoln's chances for re-election. A friend said as much to him one day, after the President had told him of his purpose to make such a call.
"As to my re-election," replied Mr. Lincoln, "it matters not. We must have the men. If I go down, I intend to go, like the Cumberland, with my colors flying!"
ALL WERE TRAGEDIES.
The cartoon reproduced below was published in "Harper's Weekly" on January 31st, 1863, the explanatory text, underneath, reading in this way:
MANAGER LINCOLN: "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to say that the tragedy entitled 'The Army of the Potomac' has been withdrawn on account of quarrels among the leading performers, and I have substituted three new and striking farces, or burlesques, one, entitled 'The Repulse of Vicksburg,' by the well-known favorite, E. M. Stanton, Esq., and the others, 'The Loss of the Harriet Lane,' and 'The Exploits of the Alabama'--a very sweet thing in farces, I assure you--by the veteran composer, Gideon Welles. (Unbounded applause by the Copperheads)."
In July, after this cartoon appeared, the Army of the Potomac defeated Lee at Gettysburg, and sounded the death-knell of the Confederacy; General Hooker, with his corps from this Army opened the Tennessee River, thus affording some relief to the Union troops in Chattanooga; Hooker's men also captured Lookout Mountain, and assisted in taking Missionary Ridge.
General Grant converted the farce "The Repulse of Vicksburg" into a tragedy for the Copperheads, taking that stronghold on July 4th, and Captain Winslow, with the Union man-of-war Kearsarge, meeting the Confederate privateer Alabama, off the coast of France, near Cherbourg, fought the famous ship to a finish and sunk her. Thus the tragedy of "The Army of the Potomac" was given after all, and Playwright Stanton and Composer Welles were vindicated, their compositions having been received by the public with great favor.
"HE'S THE BEST OF US."
Secretary of State Seward did not appreciate President Lincoln's ability until he had been associated
President Lincoln had a friendly conference, but presented his ultimatum that the one and only condition of peace was that Confederates "must cease their resistance."
SENT TO HIS "FRIENDS."
During the Civil War, Clement L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, had shown himself, in the National House of Representatives and elsewhere, one of the bitterest and most outspoken of all the men of that class which insisted that "the war was a failure." He declared that it was the design of "those in power to establish a despotism," and that they had "no intention of restoring the Union." He denounced the conscription which had been ordered, and declared that men who submitted to be drafted into the army were "unworthy to be called free men." He spoke of the President as "King Lincoln."
Such utterances at this time, when the Government was exerting itself to the utmost to recruit the armies, were dangerous, and Vallandigham was arrested, tried by court-martial at Cincinnati, and sentenced to be placed in confinement during the war,
General Burnside, in command at Cincinnati, approved the sentence, and ordered that he be sent to Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor; but the President ordered that he be sent "beyond our lines into those of his friends." He was therefore escorted to the Confederate lines in Tennessee, thence going to Richmond. He did not meet with a very cordial reception there, and finally sought refuge in Canada.
Vallandigham died in a most peculiar way some years after the close of the War, and it was thought by many that his death was the result of premeditation upon his part.
GO DOWN WITH COLORS FLYING.
In August, 1864, the President called for five hundred thousand more men. The country was much depressed. The Confederates had, in comparatively small force, only a short time before, been to the very gates of Washington, and returned almost unharmed.
The Presidential election was impending. Many thought another call for men at such a time would insure, if not destroy, Mr. Lincoln's chances for re-election. A friend said as much to him one day, after the President had told him of his purpose to make such a call.
"As to my re-election," replied Mr. Lincoln, "it matters not. We must have the men. If I go down, I intend to go, like the Cumberland, with my colors flying!"
ALL WERE TRAGEDIES.
The cartoon reproduced below was published in "Harper's Weekly" on January 31st, 1863, the explanatory text, underneath, reading in this way:
MANAGER LINCOLN: "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to say that the tragedy entitled 'The Army of the Potomac' has been withdrawn on account of quarrels among the leading performers, and I have substituted three new and striking farces, or burlesques, one, entitled 'The Repulse of Vicksburg,' by the well-known favorite, E. M. Stanton, Esq., and the others, 'The Loss of the Harriet Lane,' and 'The Exploits of the Alabama'--a very sweet thing in farces, I assure you--by the veteran composer, Gideon Welles. (Unbounded applause by the Copperheads)."
In July, after this cartoon appeared, the Army of the Potomac defeated Lee at Gettysburg, and sounded the death-knell of the Confederacy; General Hooker, with his corps from this Army opened the Tennessee River, thus affording some relief to the Union troops in Chattanooga; Hooker's men also captured Lookout Mountain, and assisted in taking Missionary Ridge.
General Grant converted the farce "The Repulse of Vicksburg" into a tragedy for the Copperheads, taking that stronghold on July 4th, and Captain Winslow, with the Union man-of-war Kearsarge, meeting the Confederate privateer Alabama, off the coast of France, near Cherbourg, fought the famous ship to a finish and sunk her. Thus the tragedy of "The Army of the Potomac" was given after all, and Playwright Stanton and Composer Welles were vindicated, their compositions having been received by the public with great favor.
"HE'S THE BEST OF US."
Secretary of State Seward did not appreciate President Lincoln's ability until he had been associated