Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-26
MIR. LINCOLN.s EARIYUrE-
interesting Reminiscances-Ay Visit to On.
of His Humble Friends.

correspondence of the Chicago Republican,
HAVANA, MASON Co.. ILL. December IA
coun eS 10 ee IN the eastern t portion & Sf this
Iormerly Mrs. Armstrong. Years ago, when this
soodly state Of ours was comparatively new. there
tall plain and rather awkwardyoung man, to help in
she mill tend store, and make himself generally use
iul; After serving in this capacity for some time,
and making friends of all who IN contact with
99im. at mill or grocery. he was appointed County
surveyor and went to live with farmer named
Wilcox whom l went to was the wife of this Arm
strong, and the slender. boned shop tender and
surveyor was Abraham Lincoln.
The first time ever saw him." said Mrs. W, II
went trading. told Armstrong as soon g. got
home there was new clerk at the store and liked
days afterward, Armstrong went to mill, and when
be came home he told me he had seen the new clerk
Dragged about SO much and he liked him too. They
had got to lifting IN the MILL parcel of them, and
the clerk eutlifted every man there"
~ ell, he lived with you did he not. afterward?"
es; as soon as he got to surveying he came to
our house. and made it his home. l made two pair
of deerskin breeehes for himshirts too. Armstrong
nies. Wherever Armstrong went, Lincoln would 20
too; He was poor, and had horse; we had several
they they would be gone week at time to Jacksonville.
Springfield, or somewhere else. They lied about r..
when he was nominated for President said ne used
ms drinking. The young folks thought him kind oi
queer Nhen there wes froic, or any doings among
up m ae MOULD Gways age but never danced cut
%[en or telling some funny story TO the old folks
fes Le stayed with US till we moved to Missouri and
lever saw him angry the whole time.
de used to say ne would never marry until he could
support wife comfortably, and he didn't We lived
Ia n missouri nve years, and when we came back he
mad gone to Springfield. | went down there trading
pfe{ty soon, and was standing in store door looking
At the folks, when saw him coming down the street
A lady was With him. his wife, and everybody was
Dowlng and shaking hands with him. stood up
straight in the door, little back like thinking NAV
be he would not want to see me- with his wife and all
those people around; never could put on apy airs
and he knew it. He saw me, though, before he rot
70 TON me- and came up laughing and shaking hands, real
slad to see me; asked after Armstrong and ali the
rest Just as if he was Of the family tell you,
MI. r., ne was kind. good hearted man, and true
gentlemen; He defended my son [her son was tried
for homicide and acquitted and after the trial when
told MN mad no money to pay him, he laughed at
me, and told me whenever was in any trouble TO
come to him; Everybody told me was foolish to
write 70 MN about my son, who sick in the army,
that he had enough else to attend to now. besides
looking after me and my family. But when teIe-
graphic dispatch, dseharging my son. and letter to
me, too, came, they found out that he had NOT for
gotten his old home down in Menard