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TITE SUNDAY OREGON! AX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 20, IPOS.
IDA M.
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TO
flreROtT FRIEND j ft
OF EVERV BOY HE
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HO
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WATCHED
THEM WITH PAT
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This Is the first of a series of
articles by Ida M. Tarbell, tho
well-known historian, on the hu
man side of Abraham Lincoln.
As the time approaches for the
celebration of the great Presi
dent's centenary next February,
no biographical sketches can com
pare with these In Interest for
Americans. Especially do they
commend themselves to the youth
of the land.
These articles. Illustrated by
halftones of rare photographs of
priceless value, will be published
for several weeks In The Sunday
Oregonian. Each Is complete In
Itself.
INCOLN never came to regard the
I Army as a mere machine, never for-
got the Individual men who made It
upi From the outset, he was the per
sonal friend of every soldier he sent
to the front, and somehow every man
seemed to know It. No doubt. It waa on
Lincoln's visits to the camps around
Washington, In the early days of the
war, that the body of the soldlera got
this Idea. They never forgot his friend
ly hand-clasp, his hearty "God bless
you," his remonstrance against the youth
of some 15-year-old boy masquerading as
), his jocular remarks about the height
of some soldier towering above his own
six feet foiir. When, later, he visited the
Army of the Potomac on the Rappahan
nock and at Antlctam, these Impressions
of his interest In the personal welfare of
the soldiers were renewed. He walked
down the long lines of tents or hute,
noting the attempts at decoration, the
housekeeping conveniences, replying by
miles and nods and sometimes with
words to the greetliiRs, rough and hearty.
which he received. He Inquired Into every
chase of camp life, and the men knew It
and said to one another, "He cares for
us: he makes us fight, but he carea."
Heports of scores of cases where he
Interfered personally to secure ome
favor or right for a soldier found their
way to the Army and gave solid foun
dation to this Impression that he was
the aoldiere friend. From the time of
the arrival of the first troops In Wash
ington, in April. 1SK1, the town was full
of men, all of them wanting to see the
President. At first they were gay and
curious merely, their requesta trival; but
later, when the Army had settled down
to steady fighting, and Bull Run and
the Peninsula and Antietam and Fred
ericksburg and Chancellorsvllle had cut
and scarred and aged the Army, the
soldiers who haunted Washington were
changed. They stumped about on
crutches. They sat pale and thin In the
parks, empty sleeves pinned to their
breasts; they came to the White House
begging for furloughs to see dying
parents, for dismissal to support a suf
fering family. No man will ever know
how many of these soldiers Abraham
Lincoln helped. Little cards are con
stantly turning up In different parts of
the country, treasured by private sol
diers, on which he had written some
brief note to a proper authority. In
tended to help a man out of a difficulty.
Here Is one: i'
P-retary of War: Please the Pltts
burr boy. He is very voting, and I shall be
satisfied with whatever you do with him.
A. LINCOLN.
Aurust 21. IMS. . ft
The Pittsliutg hoy" had enlisted at
17 years of age. He had been ill with
a long fever. He wanted a furlough, and
with a curious trust that anything could
THE FRONT
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be done If he could only get to the Presi
dent, ' he had slipped Into the White
House, and by chance met Lincoln, who
listened to his story and gave him this
note.
Lincoln and "Cussing" Soldier.
Many applications reached Lincoln
he passed to and from the White Houae
and the "War Department. It was, no
doubt, as he crossed the park that he
saw the colored man with one leg
designated In a check signed by him
and after listening to his story, gave
him the money to help him out of his
trouble.
1 A. W. Swan, of Albuquerque, N. M-,
relates a pleaslncr Incident that fell
under his own eye between Lincoln and
a soldier in this same path between
tho White House and the War Depart
ment: "In company with a gentleman, I
was on tlio way to the War Depart
ment one day. Oar way led through a
small park between the White House
and tho War Department building. As
we entered this park we noticed Mr.
Lincoln just ahead of us, and meeting
him a private soldier who was evident
ly In a violent passion, as he waa
swearing in a high key, cursing the
Government from the President down.
Mr. Lincoln paused aa he met the irate
soldier, and asked him what was the
matter. 'Matter enough, was the re
ply. 1 want my money. I have been
discharged here, and can't get my pay.'
Mr. Lincoln asked if he had his papers,
saying that he used to practice law In
a small way and possibly could help
him. My friend and I stepped behind
some convenient shrubbery where we
could watch the result. Mr. Lincoln
took the papers from the hands of the
crlppied soldlor, and sat down with
him at the foot of a convenient tree,
where he examined them carefully, and
writing a line on the back, told the
soldier to take them to Mr. Potts, Chief
Clerk of the War Department, who
would doubtless attend to the matter
at once. After Mr. Lincoln had left the
soldier, we stepped out and asked htm
If he knew whom he had been talking
with. 'Some ugly old fellow who pre
tends to be a lawyer, was the reply.
My companion asked to see the papers,
and on their being handed to him,
pointed to the Indorsement they had
received. This indorsement read: "Mr.
Potts, attend to this man's case at once
and see that he gets his pay. A- L.'
The Initials were too familiar with
men in position to know them to be
ignored. We went with the soldier, who
had Just returned from Libby Prison
and had been given a hospital certifi
cate for discharge, to see Mr. Potts,
and before the Paymaster's office was
closed for the day he had received his
discharge and check for the money due
him. he in the meantime not knowing
whether to be the more pleased or sor
ry tq think he had cursed 'Abe Lin
coln' to his face."
The Company That Guarded Lincoln
'When we entered the city, Mr! Lln-
vldual soldiers were, of course, transi
ent, Washington was, for the great
body of soldiers, only the half-way
house between North and South. The
only body of soldiers with which the
President had long association waa
Company K of the One Hundred and
Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers. This
oompany, ralsea in urawiora county.
In Northwestern Pennsylvania, reached
Washington in the first days of Sep
tember, 1SS2. September S. Captain
D. V. Derlrkson, of Meadvllle, Penn
sylvania, who was In command of the
company, received orders to marcn his
men to the Soldlera Home, to act there
III
LET.
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POTOMAC
5
tJOWJL,LN"GOXrsr HEXJF!Ejy TttE c1CXLXXEri?oi
as a guard to the President, who was
occupying a cottage In the grounds.
"Tho next morning after our arri
val," says Mr. Derlckson, "the Presi
dent sent a messenger to my quarters,
stating that he would like to see the
Captain of the guard at his resldonce.
I immediately reported. After an in
formal Introduction and hand-shaking,
he asked me If I would have any ob
jection to riding with him to the city.
I replied that It would give me much
pleasure to do so, when he invited me
to take a scat In the carriage. On our
way to the city, he made numerous In
quiries, as to my name, where I came
from, what regiment I belonged to,
etc
"When we entered the city, Mr. Lin
coln said he would call at General Hal
leck's headquarters and get what news
had been received from the Army dur
ing the night. I informed him that
General Cullum, chief aid to General
Halleck. was raised In Meadvllle and
that I knew him when I was a boy.
He replied. Then we must see both the
gentlemen.' When the carriage stopped,
he requested me to remain seated and
said he would bring the gentlemen
down to see me, the office being on
the second flooor. In a short time the
President came down, followed by "the
other gentlemen. When he introduced
them to me. General uullum recognized
and seemed pleased to see me. In
General Halleck I thought I discovered
a kind of quizzical look, as much aa to
say, 'Isn't this rather a big Joke to
ask the Commander-in-Chief of the
Army down to the street to be lntro-
'Supposlng that the invitation to ride
to the city with the President was as
much to give him an opportunity to look
over and Interview the new captain as
for any other purpose, I did not report
the next morning. During the day I was
Informed that It was the desire of the
President that I should breakfast with
him and accompany him to the White
House every morning, and return with
him In the evening. This duty I entered
upon with much pleasure, .and was on
hand In good time next morning, and con
tinued to perform this duty until we
moved to the White House In November.
It was Mr. Lincoln's custom on account
of the pressure of business to breakfast
before the other members of the family
were up, and I usually entered his room
at half past 6 or 7 o'clock In the morning,
where I often found him reading the Bible
or some work on the art of war. On my
entering he . would read aloud and offer
comments of his own as he read.
"I usually went down to the city at
4 'clock and returned with the President
at & He often carried & small portfolio
containing papers relating to the business
,jVt
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ATANTIFDVM cnEFX, 1863
of the day, and spent many hours on them
In the evening. ... I found Mr. Lin
coln to be one of the most kind-hearted
and pleasant gentlemen that I had ever
met. He never spoke unkindly of any
one, and always spoke of the rebels as
'those Southern gentlemen.' "
Lincoln's Delight in Camp Fun.
This relation begun with the Captain,
the President extended to every man of
his company. It was their pride that he
knew every one of them by name. "He
always called me Joe," I heard a veteran
of the guard say, a quaver in his voice.
He never passed the men on duty without
acknowledging their salute, and often vis
ited their camp. Once In passing when
the men were at mess, he called out:
"That coffee smells good, boys; give me
a cup." And on another occasion he
asked for a plate of beans, and sat down
on a camp-stool and ate them. Mrs. Lin
coin frequently visited the company with
the President, and many and many a gift
to the White House larder from enthusi
astic supporters of the Administration
was sent to the boys now a barrel of
apple butter, now a quarter of beef. On
holidays Mrs. Lincoln made It a rule to
provide Company K with a turkey dinner.
The welfare of the men, their troubles.
escapades, amusements, were treated by
the President as a kind of family matter.
He never forgot to ask after the sick.
often secured a pass or a furlough for
some one, and took genuine delight In the
camp fun.
"While we were In camp at the Sol
diers' Home In the Fall of 1362," says
C. M. Derickson, of Mercer, Pa., "the
boys indulged In various kinds of amuse
ment. I think it was the Kepler boys
who Introduced the trained elephant. Two
men of about the same size, both in a
stooped position, were placed one ahead
of the other. An army blanket was then
thrown over them so that it came about to
their knees, and a trunk, improvised by
wrapping a piece of blanket around a
small elastlo piece of wood, was placed
In the hands of the front man. Here you
have your elephant. Ours was taught to
get down on his knees, stand on one leg,
and do various other tricks. While the
elephant was going through his exercises
one evening, the President strolled into
camp. He was very much amused at the
wonderful feats; the elephant could per
form, and a few evenings after he called
again and brought a friend with him, and
asked the Captain if he would not have
the elephant brought out again, as he
would like to have his friend see him
perform. Of course It was done, to the
great amusement of both the President
and his friend." i
By the end of 1S62. Mr. Lincoln could
scarcely drive or walk in any direction
about Washington without passing a ho- ,
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MC3XJEn1WE
pltal. Even In going to his Summer cot
tage, at the Soldiers' Home, the Presi
dent did not escape the sight of the
wounded. The rolling hillside was dotted
with white hospital tents during the entire
war. In many places the tents were
placed close to the road, so as to get more
air, the grounds , being more thickly
wooded than they are now. As he drove
home, after-a harrowing day In the
White House, the President frequently
looked from his carriage upon the very
beds of wounded soldiers.
In 18(2 Mr. Lincoln called Dr. D. Willard
Bliss from the field to Washington to aid
In organizing a more perfect system of
general hospitals in and about the city.
One result of Dr. Bliss' coming was the
building of Armory Square Hospital, one
of the best conducted Institutions of the
Civil War. Lincoln gave his personal at
tention to the building of Armory Square,
and for a long time met Dr. Bliss twice
each week to consider the ingenious ap
pliances which the latter devised to aid
in caring for and treating the wounded.
Some of these appliances the President
paid for out of his own pocket. Not In
frequently he had some suggestion to
make for the comfort of the place. It
was due to him that Armory Square be
came a bower of vine and bloom in the
Summer. Why don't you plant flower
seeds?" he asked Dr. Bliss one day. The
doctor said he would if he had the
seeds. "I'll order them for you from the
Agricultural Department," replied the
President, and sure enough he did; and
thereafter, all through the season, each
of the long barracks had its own flower
bed and vines.
The President himself visited the hos
pitals as often as he could, visits never
forgotten Dy tne men to wnom ne spoKe
as he passed up ana aown ine waras.
shaking hands here, giving a cheering
word there, making jocular comments i
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everywhere. There are men still living
who tell of a little scene they witnessed
at Armory Suare In 1863. A soldier of the
One Hundred and Fortieth regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteers. had been
wounded In the shoulder at the battle of
Chancellorsvllle and taken to Washington.
One day as he was becoming convalescent
a whisper ran down the long row of cots
that the President was in the building
and would soon pass by. Instantly every
boy In blue who was able arose, stood
erect, hands to the side, ready to salute
his commander-in-chief. The Pennsyl
vanlan stood six feet seven inches In his
stockings. Lincoln was six feet four. As
the President approached this giant .tow
ering above him, he stopped in amaze
ment, and casting his eyes from head
to foot and from foot to head, as if con
templating the Immense distance from
one extremity to the other, he stood for
a moment speechless. At length, extend
ing his hand, he exclaimed: "Hello, com
rade: do you know when your feet get
cold?"
Lincoln rarely forgot a patient whom
he saw a second time, and to stubborn
cases that remained from month to month
he gave particular attention. There was
In Armory Square Hospital for a long
time a boy known as "Little Johnnie."
He was hopelessly crippled doomed to
death, but cheerful, and a general fa
vorite. Lincoln never failed to stop at
"Little Johnnie's" cot when he went to
Armory Square and frequently sent him
fruit and flowers and a friendly message i
through Mrs. Lincoln.
"Xon Mean Confederates."
Of all the incidents told of Lincoln's
hospital visits, there is nothing more
characteristic, better worth preserva
tion, than the one following, preserved
by Dr. Jerome Walker, of Brooklyn:
. "Just one week before his assassina-
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1 tion. President Lincoln visited the
Army of the Potomac, at City Point,
Virginia, and carefully exarainul tho
hospital arrangements -of the Ninth,
Sixth, Fifth, Second and Sixteenth
corps hospitals and of the engineer
corps, there stationed. At that time I
was an agent of the United States San
itary Commission attached to the Ninth
Corps Hospital. Though a hoy of 19
years, to me was assigned the duty of
escorting- the President through our
department of the hospital system. The
reader can Imagine the pride with
which I fulfilled the duty, and as we
went from tent to tent I could not but
note his gentleness, his friendly greet
ings to the sick and wounded, his quiet
humor as he drew comparisons between
himself and the very tall and very
short men with whom he came In con
tact, and his genuine Interest in the
welfare of the soldiers.
"Finally, after visiting the wards oc
cupied by our invalid and convalescing
soldiers, we came to three wards oc
cupied by sick and wounded Southern
prisoners. With a feeling of patriotic
duty, I said, 'Mr. President, you won't
want to go in there; they are only
rebels.' I will never forget how he
stopped and gently laid his large hand
upon my shoulder and quietly an
swered, 'You mean Confederates.' And
I have meant Confederates ever since.
"There was nothing left for me to
do after the President's remark but to
go with him through these threo
wards; and I could not see but that he
was just as kind, his hand-shakings
just as hearty, his Interest Just as real
for the welfare of the men as when he
was among our own soldiers."
Lincoln and the Deserter.
One great cause of sorrow to Lin
coln throughout the war was the ne
cessity of DUnishing soldiers. Not only
did the men commit all the crimes
common to society, like robbery and
murder; they were guilty of others pe
culiar to military organization and
war, such as desertion, sleeping on
post, disobedience to orders, bounty
jumping, giving Information to the
enemy. As the army grew larger, de
sertion became so common that it had
to be treated with great severity. The
President never ceased to abhor the
death penalty for this offense. While
he never commuted the sentence of a
bounty-jumper, as far as I have been
able to discover, over the great num
ber of sentences he hesitated. He
seemed to see what others Ignored, the
causes which were behind. Lincoln
knew that the "copperhead" agitation
In. the North reached the Army and .
that hundreds, of men were being urged
by parents and friends hostile to the
Administration to desert. His indig
nation never was against the boy who
yielded to this Influence.
"Must I shoot a simple-minded sol
dier boy who deserts," he said, "while
must not touch a hair of the wily
agitator who Induces him to desert? I
think that in such a case, to silence
the agitator, and save the boy, is not
only constitutional, but withal a great
mercy."
Another cause that he never forgot
waa that mortal homesickness which
so often ate the very heart out of a
boy away from home for the first time.
It filled many a hospital cot In the
Civil War, and shriveled the nerves and
(Cenotuded on Pace 7.)