Lincoln's Yarns and Stories [85]
afterward a Methodist minister called on the President, and on being presented to him, said, simply:
"Mr. President, I have come to tell you that I think we have got to Fox River!"
Lincoln thanked the clergyman, and laughed heartily.
PRESIDENT NOMINATED FIRST.
The day of Lincoln's second nomination for the Presidency he forgot all about the Republican National Convention, sitting at Baltimore, and wandered over to the War Department. While there, a telegram came announcing the nomination of Johnson as Vice-President.
"What," said Lincoln to the operator, "do they nominate a Vice-President before they do a President?"
"Why," replied the astonished official, "have you not heard of your own nomination? It was sent to the White House two hours ago."
"It is all right," replied the President; "I shall probably find it on my return."
"THEM GILLITEENS."
The illustrated newspapers of the United States and England had a good deal of fun, not only with President Lincoln, but the latter's Cabinet officers and military commanders as well. It was said by these funny publications that the President had set up a guillotine in his "back-yard," where all those who offended were beheaded with both neatness, and despatch. "Harper's Weekly" of January 3rd, 1863, contained a cartoon labeled "Those Guillotines; a Little Incident at the White House," the personages figuring in the "incident" being Secretary of War Stanton and a Union general who had been unfortunate enough to lose a battle to the Confederates. Beneath the cartoon was the following dialogue:
SERVANT: "If ye plase, sir, them Gilliteens has arrove." MR. LINCOLN: "All right, Michael. Now, gentlemen, will you be kind enough to step out in the back-yard?"
The hair and whiskers of Secretary of War Stanton are ruffled and awry, and his features are not calm and undisturbed, indicating that he has an idea of what's the matter in that back-yard; the countenance of the officer in the rear of the Secretary of War wears rather an anxious, or worried, look, and his hair isn't combed smoothly, either.
President Lincoln's frequent changes among army commanders-- before he found Grant, Sherman and Sheridan--afforded an opportunity the caricaturists did not neglect, and some very clever cartoons were the consequence.
"CONSIDER THE SYMPATHY OF LINCOLN."
Consider the sympathy of Abraham Lincoln. Do you know the story of William Scott, private? He was a boy from a Vermont farm.
There had been a long march, and the night succeeding it he had stood on picket. The next day there had been another long march, and that night William Scott had volunteered to stand guard in the place of a sick comrade who had been drawn for the duty.
It was too much for William Scott. He was too tired. He had been found sleeping on his beat.
The army was at Chain Bridge. It was in a dangerous neighborhood. Discipline must be kept.
William Scott was apprehended, tried by court-martial, sentenced to be shot. News of the case was carried to Lincoln. William Scott was a prisoner in his tent, expecting to be shot next day.
But the flaps of his tent were parted, and Lincoln stood before him. Scott said:
"The President was the kindest man I had ever seen; I knew him at once by a Lincoln medal I had long worn.
"I was scared at first, for I had never before talked with a great man; but Mr. Lincoln was so easy with me, so gentle, that I soon forgot my fright.
"He asked me all about the people at home, the neighbors, the farm, and where I went to school, and who my schoolmates were. Then he asked me about mother and how she looked; and I was glad I could take her photograph from my bosom and show it to him.
"He said how thankful I ought to be that my mother still lived, and how, if he were in my place, he would try to make her a proud mother, and never cause her a sorrow or a tear.
"I cannot remember it all, but every word was so kind.
"He had said nothing yet about that dreadful next morning; I thought it must be that he was so kind-hearted that he didn't
"Mr. President, I have come to tell you that I think we have got to Fox River!"
Lincoln thanked the clergyman, and laughed heartily.
PRESIDENT NOMINATED FIRST.
The day of Lincoln's second nomination for the Presidency he forgot all about the Republican National Convention, sitting at Baltimore, and wandered over to the War Department. While there, a telegram came announcing the nomination of Johnson as Vice-President.
"What," said Lincoln to the operator, "do they nominate a Vice-President before they do a President?"
"Why," replied the astonished official, "have you not heard of your own nomination? It was sent to the White House two hours ago."
"It is all right," replied the President; "I shall probably find it on my return."
"THEM GILLITEENS."
The illustrated newspapers of the United States and England had a good deal of fun, not only with President Lincoln, but the latter's Cabinet officers and military commanders as well. It was said by these funny publications that the President had set up a guillotine in his "back-yard," where all those who offended were beheaded with both neatness, and despatch. "Harper's Weekly" of January 3rd, 1863, contained a cartoon labeled "Those Guillotines; a Little Incident at the White House," the personages figuring in the "incident" being Secretary of War Stanton and a Union general who had been unfortunate enough to lose a battle to the Confederates. Beneath the cartoon was the following dialogue:
SERVANT: "If ye plase, sir, them Gilliteens has arrove." MR. LINCOLN: "All right, Michael. Now, gentlemen, will you be kind enough to step out in the back-yard?"
The hair and whiskers of Secretary of War Stanton are ruffled and awry, and his features are not calm and undisturbed, indicating that he has an idea of what's the matter in that back-yard; the countenance of the officer in the rear of the Secretary of War wears rather an anxious, or worried, look, and his hair isn't combed smoothly, either.
President Lincoln's frequent changes among army commanders-- before he found Grant, Sherman and Sheridan--afforded an opportunity the caricaturists did not neglect, and some very clever cartoons were the consequence.
"CONSIDER THE SYMPATHY OF LINCOLN."
Consider the sympathy of Abraham Lincoln. Do you know the story of William Scott, private? He was a boy from a Vermont farm.
There had been a long march, and the night succeeding it he had stood on picket. The next day there had been another long march, and that night William Scott had volunteered to stand guard in the place of a sick comrade who had been drawn for the duty.
It was too much for William Scott. He was too tired. He had been found sleeping on his beat.
The army was at Chain Bridge. It was in a dangerous neighborhood. Discipline must be kept.
William Scott was apprehended, tried by court-martial, sentenced to be shot. News of the case was carried to Lincoln. William Scott was a prisoner in his tent, expecting to be shot next day.
But the flaps of his tent were parted, and Lincoln stood before him. Scott said:
"The President was the kindest man I had ever seen; I knew him at once by a Lincoln medal I had long worn.
"I was scared at first, for I had never before talked with a great man; but Mr. Lincoln was so easy with me, so gentle, that I soon forgot my fright.
"He asked me all about the people at home, the neighbors, the farm, and where I went to school, and who my schoolmates were. Then he asked me about mother and how she looked; and I was glad I could take her photograph from my bosom and show it to him.
"He said how thankful I ought to be that my mother still lived, and how, if he were in my place, he would try to make her a proud mother, and never cause her a sorrow or a tear.
"I cannot remember it all, but every word was so kind.
"He had said nothing yet about that dreadful next morning; I thought it must be that he was so kind-hearted that he didn't