The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-08-08
Letter from Abe's Cousin
: gsig Charles Hanks.

Lincoln It is said, split rails with one
John Hanks, his cousin. John has writ
ten . letter on the subject, and now Charles
yHarks, John's brother and Abes cousin,
knocks daylight through Lincoln's ancient
biography, Here is bis letter:
From the Decatur (lllinois) Magnet.
EDITOR OF THE Dear SIR: In
che last weeks issue of the Chronicle L!
noticed letter signed "John Hanks, -
which is 90 extraordinary in many of its
features that feel called upon to give it
.fSbrief notice. 4 tlE!(IFB t}tf 4
John Hanks is my younger brother,
md Abe LINCOLN is my cousin i have
known both John and Abe from their
.dearifest childhood. Since brother John
nh h.a has committed himself to the Decatur
politician, who is using him as tool to
speculate In certain old rails (that I know
cpusin Abe never made, have great
fears that brother John, like consin Abe.
& hes fallen into bad hands, and that man
BebJ nature made for good man, but who
- Slwsys needed protecting counselors, may
be by his bad associations entirely ruined.
,yI have known the entire history of both
brother John, and cousin Abe. and all that
rs;,stuf in the letter published in the Caroni-
cls is stuff, miserable stuff, and although
miipo0r brother Johns name is signed to it,
-as I know that he even yet does not know
What is in it; much less did he ever write
ff It is the work of men unscrupulous
In the means that they may use in gulling
AhhsGest people, As&AI eFAAtaAtA :.
In Johns letter find a long and pa
thetic allusion to cousin Abe's early and
hard life. That may be poetical, but
lis there il but little of it true. In Abe's
sss young days he was simply q wild Hdrens
'n secGfem boy, and jumping and wrestling
no Sere his only accomplishments. Hislazi
~ hess ives the cause of many notifications
sat to ne; for as was an older boy than
either Abe or John, / often had to do
kbe'S work at. u6cle's, when the family
were al sick with the ague from eating
wstermelons, end Abe would be rollicking
RI Around theIcountry neglecting them.{ In
Il those early days we all saw hard times;
.sAyet . young man who was energetic and
Industrious could dress himself comforta-
libby, and have plenty of plain good food
- to eet.,I have often felt ashamed Of
-sb cousin Abe in seeing, him a, full grown
-abmsng gsdding around the country bare>
-eisfoos with his toes outrsgeously spraddled
ont BY the mud; and instead of reading
his books. az brother John, though the
Decatur politician so POLITICALLY tells us
he would be rowdying around with pack
.,s.of Wild young men,. ! we'll remember
-,@I Hhsn be went courting one of Major War.
10 niek;s daughters, in this country, his boots
s.Swefesso lmissrably bad that his feet were
g lfobtsd. and he had TO lay up At Major
issWarrick's for two weeks. and have the
1ssolds lady nurse and doctor his feet. - s
am fully pursuaded that brother John
sintakinG the strange course that he is now
-persning for the purpose Of making littl,
mon6y ont of Q rail specula:ion, and if
,,vcould for one moment think. that the De
,oa catur sharpers, in whose hands be ha
edi placed himself, would not cheat him on
onaof every cent Of the money, I would moi
spoil the Speculation by telling the facts.
The facts in regard to chose rails arr
sdi these: The little farm that John snt
.ssAbe made the rsils to fence contained tel
10 h.acres. About Ave years after this littl,
x- farm Was fenced, the entire fence wa
sss. .burned mp, TO my certain knowledge, for
hauled the rails to fence it the secont
time; Lewis H. Ward, who now reside
III this county, witnessed the fire tina
burned the rails, and he is willing to maxi
sfidavit Of this fact.
i lived within two miles and q half 0
dsethis Lincoln farm from the time it wal
settled up to 1851, and during these earl,
times our farmers were subject TO being
visfted by devastating dres, and I knos