Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-05-30
Mr.. LincOln's Early Life.

Happening to be in the eastern portion OF
this county few days ago, called to see
Mrs. Wilcox, formerly Mrs. Armstrong
Years ago, when this goodly State Of ours
was comparatively new, there came to the
little village of Salem, Mermaid county, a
tall, plain, and rather awkward young man
to help in the mill, tend store, and make
himself generally useful. After serving in
this capacity for some time, and making
friends of all who came in contact with him,
at mill OF grocery, he was appointed county
surveyor, and went to live with farmer
named Armstrong, residing in the neighbor
hood. This Mrs. Wilcox whom | went to
sec was the wife of this Armstrong, and the
slender, rawboned shop-tender and survey
or was Abraham Lincoln.
| The first time ever saw him, said Mrs.
W, L went trading. told Armstrong as
soon as | got home there was new clerk
at the store, and | liked him first rate; he
was so pleasant and kind. A few days af-
| forward Armstrong went to mill, and when
| he came homo he told me he had seen the
clerk l Dragged about so much, and he liked
him too. They had got to lifting in the
mill, parcel of them and the clerk outfit
ed every man there"
well, he lived with you, did he not, after
ward p
Yes as soon as he got to surveying he
came to our house and made it his home
l made two pairs of deer-skin breeches fol
him-shirts, too. Armstrong used to carry
chain for him. They were great cronies.-
Wherever Armstrong went Lincoln would
90 too He was poor and had no horse; We
had several, and he always rode one of oul
creatures. Sometimes they would be gone
a week at a time to Jacksonville, Springfield
or somewhere else They lied about hin
when he was nominated for Presidents sale
he used to drink but he never did. | new
, er saw or heard of his drinking. The young
folks thought him kind of queer. WheI
there was a frolic, or any doings among them
he would always go, but meyer danced ant
cut up He amused himself by playing
with the children, or telling some funny
: story to the old folks. Yes, he staid witt
us till we moved to Missouri, and / never
l saw him angry the whole time. He uset
to say he would never marry until he cOult
support a wife comfortably; and he didn t
: We lived in Missouri five years, and whel
l we came back he had gone to Springfield
, | was down there trading pretty soon, ant
! was standing in a store door looking at thu
= folks. when | saw him coming down tn
Q street. A lady was with him, his wife, ant
. everybody was bowling and shaking hand
with Kim, 1 stood up straight in the door
a little back like thinking maybe he woult
; not want to see me, with his wife and al
i those people around; never could put OF
e any airs, and he knew it. he saw me though
t before he got to me, and came up laughing
and shaking hands, real glad to see me
asked after Armstrong and all the rest, jus
t as if he was one of the family. l tell you
: Mr.. F.; he was kind, good-hearted man
/. and true gentlemen. He defended my son
Their son was tried for homicide, and acquit
: ted, and after the trial, when l told him
had no money to pay him, he laughed at me
] and told me whenever / was in any troubl
to come to him. Everybody told me wa
foolish 10 write 10 him about my son, VIII
was sick in the. army; that he had enoug
: else to attend to now beside looking afte
4 me and my family. But when telegraph
ic despatch diseharging my son, and lei
ter to me too, came, they found out that b
: had not forgotten his old home down j
Menard."