Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-02
Erum D!okens' All IL Year R0unds
President Lincoln.


President Lincoln. ~
A NEW AND TRUE STORY TOLD OF THE
LATE PREsIDsNT. 20 '
sHtssssatFs
Durino the summer of the most disas-
iron, wear Of the lsts Americas waE, the
Colonel of . New HampshiRe regiment
Law for some weeks extremsay i'll = .
csmp fever, near Hampton ., ROsds, n
virginia. Hearing of his oritioal coadi-
dition. his wife left her Northern Asmsy
and after much difaoulty, made her way
10 his bedside Her ohserful presence
and careful nursing, 20 far restored him
that he WAS in . short time able to be
transferred to Washington. U.s..
In the Potomac 1vcr the steamer In
which the invalid dniosr. Col. Scott, and
hi. wife had taken pasaagey was sunk in 4
collision with y Target vsssel in tho might
time. The crew and nearly all tbs sol
diers ON board were rescued or saved them
.elves; but amid the horrible confusion
OF the scene, Ool Scott became separated
from his wife, and she WAS lost. The
Colonel was picked up In the water by
the crew Of the larger steamer, and un-
der HIS direction every effort was made
10 discover his wife, or rather her body,
for all hope of finding her alive was soon
abandoned. The sxd search WAS fruit
less it WAS resumed in the morning, the
people along the shore, humane eonfeder-
ate-, lending their aid. But the gray,
sullen river refused to give up its dead,
and the young officer, half frantic with
grief, was compelled to go on to Washing
ton. Within y week, however, he re-
ceved word from below that the body of
his lady had been washed on shore that
those good country people, generous foes,
had secured it, cared tor it, aud were
keeping it for him.
1t happened that just at that time i'm
perative orders were issued from the War
department., prohibiting all intercourse
with the peninsuls-a necessary precau-
ton against the premature disclosure of
important military plans. So it was with
some misgivings that Colonel Scott ap-
applied to Secretary Stanton for leave to
return to Virginia on his melancholy
duty.
Impossible. Colonel" replied Mr.. |
Stanton; firmly; mo one can have leave
to 20 down the river, ut this time, on any |
private mission whatever. Our present
exiyencies demand the most stringent
reaulations and l hope l need not say to
you lLai 10 merely personal consid=ra-
lions should DO slloyGd to interfere with
great national interests. YouS case is
sad one but this is critical, perilous,
cruel time. The dead must bury the
dead.
The Colonel would have entreated, but
The busy Secretary cut him short with
ano;her impossible" from which there
.as abs"lrsely no appeal He went forth
rom tbs prasepcs, and returned to his
hotel, quite over ~helLed.
Fortunately, he was that after..o on SIS !,
tied by II friend to whom he told the sto-
~ Of his unsuccessful application and sad
perplexity, who immediately exclaimed,
why not apply 10 the President T"
The Colonel had but little hope, but
acknowledging that the plan war ysr,h
trying, drovs with his friend to the
White House.
Tney were too late. 1t vas Saturday
evening, aud Mr.. Lincoln had gone to
spend Sunday ut Soldiers Rest, his suH-
from town, and the Colonel's indomitable
ifoud proposed that they should follow
him QUA, md they went.
There was tIsp popular belief that
all tho wrnhHed, tbs troubled, and sn fer
bans oapacious bosom; bolief that
was not far out the way. Yet there were
,l!rs when overburdened, wearied. tor
cured. the patriarch longed to clear that
yum OF bic forlorn inmates, to bolt and
b.r aud double lock it against the world
times when life became too hard and per-
prrplexinY for his genial, honest nature,
t.p serious aud tragic and rascally thing
BY half.
It hatpened unluckily that the poor
,oionel and bis friend found the Presi-
lent in one of hi. most Respondent and
Disputed moods. He vas in his little pri-
vate parlor, alone in the cleaning. He
WAS i,unxing loosely in large rocking
chair, ju..ipg over in all directions. His
-lppered feat were exalted his rough
head was throwa back, his long throat
blre--he was in his shirt sleeves. Yes,
dear, fastidious English yesder, it was
genuine Yankee abandon - mako the
most of it.
he turned npOu his viaiiors u look of .
almost savage iuquiry,-T There was, in
iced, in his usually pleasant eyes wild,
angry nleam-a something like the glare
u II worried animal ut bay
Col Scott proceeded very modestly to
tell his story; but the President inter
ruptrd him, to say brusqnely, "Go to ,
Stanton this il his business +.
II have been 10 hun, Mr.. President, and
he will DO nothing tor me" !.
"you have b1en TO him, and got your
answer, and still presume to come 10 me |.
Am 10 have no rest no privacy Must ,
be- dopgsd ~ my last tastnosses, aud
Ynrried 10 death by inchcrp Mr.. Stan
Ton hn. done Just right. lie knows what
be- b.. aboat. Your demands nre unrcnson-
iblr air" 9
Bur, Mr.. Linnoln, ! thought you
would feel for me" y
"fc,l for you Good God | have to r
tel for five hundred thousand more un- :
trtunntn than you. We are n war, sir
Don't you know We nro Mt wnrr sorrow !
HE bot Of all bear your share like u 3
nan aud soldier +
u Try 10. Mr.. President, but II seem.
am Nv devoted wife lost her life for .
pniuu 10 nur.a me in my sickness, and /
e,huot even take her body home TO my y
fhiren' '
We'll she ought not to have come !
down to tho army. She should have T.
't'Ii at home That is the place for wo- q
men. But if they will go tearing about
The country. in such times MS these, and
running into all sorts If danger, they }
NUT take the consequences Net but d
hat am sorry for you. Colonel. As for q
your wife. she's at rest, and l wish q,
We're"
Saying this, the President leaned back '
wcariIy in his chair, aud closed his .
e!e-, not noticing except by slight wave
u h's hand, the departure of his visitors. N
i am not Hshumed I'm confess that nv -
nero tossed reste-sly that night, upon n
pillow wet with many tears, that he was !,
desperate and resentful, utterly unreoon- :.
cllrd 10 the decraa Of Prnxidanca and the III