The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-09-10
MORNING, SEPTEMBER 10, 1862.
From Dickens All tho Year Round.
President Lincoln.
A New AND TRUE STONY TOLD OF THE
d. LATE PRESIDENT. .

| NOW AMI TlsuE SIOisf IOl.D Or Ihb
LATE PRESIDENT. "
During the Summer of the most disas
trous and doubtful year Of the lato Amcri
can war, the Colonel Of New Hampshir,
regiment lay for some weeks cxtremel.
III ofa camp fever, near Hampton Roads
In Virginia. Hearing Of his critical con
dition, his wife left her Northern home
and. aftcr much difficulty, made her wa.
to his bedside. Her cheerful presence ant
careful nursing so far restored him that h
was in short time to be transferred Il
Washington.
In the Potomac river the steamer il
which the invalid officer, Colonel Scott
aud his wife had taken passage, was sunk
in q collision with. larger vessel, IN th'
night time. The crew and nearly all th'
soldiers on board were rescued or savet
themselves but amid the horrible confu
sion of the scene, Colonel Scott became
separated from his wife, and she was lost
Tho Colonel was picked up In the watel
by tho crew of the larger steamer, and I'M
der his direction every effort was made Il
discover his wife, or rather her body, fol
all hope of finding her alive was soor
abandoned. The sad search was fruitless
It was resumed in the morning, the peopl,
along the shore, humane Confcdcrates
lending their aid. But the gray, snllen ri
ver refused to give up its dead, and tn,
young officer. half frantic with grief. wa!
compelled to go on to Washington
Within week, however, he received
word from below that the body Of the lady
had been washed on shore that those goot
country people, generous foes, had secur
I'D II, cared for II, and were keeping II fol
.him. urr b, .,
1t happened that just at that time i'm
perative orders were issued from the Wa
Department, prohibiting all intcrcours,
/ with the peninsula-a necessary prccau
tion agninst the premature disclosure o
important military plans. So It was witt
some misgivings that Colonel Scott ttappliet
to Mr.. Secretary Stanton for leave to re
turn to Virginia, on his melancholy duty
'1mpossible. Colonel, replied Mr.. Stan
ton firmly mo one can have leave to g
down the river, at this time, on any pri
vate mission whatever. Our present cxi
gcnces demand the most stringent regula
tions and need not say to you that M
merely personal considerations should b'
allowed to interfere with great nationa
interests. Your case is q sad one bu
this is critical, perilous, cruel time
"The dead must bury the dead"
The Colonel would would have entreat
ed but the busy Secretary cut him shor
with another impossible" from whicl
there was absolutely no appeal. He wen
forth from his presence, and returned u
the hotel, quite overwhelmed. Fortu
nately, he was that afternoon visited by ;
friend to whom he told the story of hi
unsuccessful application and sad pcrplex
ity, and who Immediately exclaimed
"Why not apply to tho President ?"
The Colonel had but little hope, but &c
knowlcdging that tho plan was worth try
ing, drove with his friend to the Whit
House.
They wcrc to late. It was Saturda,
evening, and Mr.. Lincoln. had gone :,
spend Sunday ut Soldiers Rest, his Sum
mcr retreat. This was but few mile
from town, and the Colonel's ihdonit;,bl,
friind wroposed that they should follow
him out, and they went.
There was then u popular belief that nj
the wrongcd. the troubled and suffering
could find refugein Father Abraham's'
capacious bosom u belief that was no
far out Of the way. Yet there were timc'
when overburdened, wearied, tortured
tho patriarch longed to clear that asylum
of his forlorn inmates, to bolt and bar ant
double lock II against the world /; times
when life became too hard and pcrplex
ing for his genial, honest nature, too so
rious and tragic and rascally thing b.
half
1t happened, unluckily, that tho pool
Colonel and his friend found tho Prcsiden
In one of his most despondent and disgust
ed moods. He was in his private parlor
alone in tho cleaning. He was lounginl
loosely in large rocking-clair, jnttinl
over It in all directions. His slippcrct
feet werc exalted, his rough head was
thrown back, his long throat barc-h,
was in his shirt-sleeves. Yes, dear, f,s
tidious English reader, 1t was genuine
Yankee a6dndon-make the most of It.
He tnrned upon his visitors look o.
almost savage inquiry. There was, in
deed, in his usually pleasant eyes n wild
angry gleam-a something like the glare
of q worried animal ut bay.
Colonel Scott proceeded very modestly
to tell his story /; but the President inter.
ruptcd him. to say brusquely, "Go to Stan.
ton this is his business"
81 have been to him, Mr.. President,
and he will do nothing for me.'
"You have been to him and got your
answer, and still presume to come to me
Am to have no rest Pho privacyp Mus,
be dogged to my last fi.stnesses, and
worried to death by inches Mr.. Stanton
has done just right. He knows what he
II about. Your demands are unreason.
able Sir.
'But Mr.. Lincoln, I thought you
would feel for me-" .a,.-l
"recl for you Good-Ihayc to feel
E.. S..., k,u,yroI tL,,,....l - -.