The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-09-30
From Dickens All the Year Round.
President Lincoln.
A New and True story Told of the. Late President

late American war, the Colonel of
New Hampshire regiment lay 70
some weeks extremely i'll of cam,
fever, near Hampton Roads, in Vir
ginia. Hearing of. his critical condi
ton, his wife left her Northern home
after much difficulty, made her way
to his bedside. Her cheerful pre-
sence and cheerful nursing SO far re
stored him that he was in a shorr
time we'll enough to be transferred
to Washington.
In the Potomac River, the steamer
in which the invalid officer, Colonel
Scott, and his family, had taken pass
age, was sunk, in collision with a
larger vessel, in the night time. The
crew and nearly all the soldiers on
board were rescued or saved them
selves; but amid the horrible confu-
sion of the scene, Colonel Scott be-
came separated from his wife, and
she was lost. The Col. was picked
up in the water by the crew of the
larger steamer, and under his direc-
tons every effort was made to dis
cover his wife, or rather her body,
for all hope Of finding her alive was
soon abandoned. The sad search
was fruitless ; it was resumed in the
morning, the people along the shore,
humane Confederates, lending their
aid, But the gray sullen river refus-
ed to give up the dead, and the young
officer, half frantic with grief, was com
pelledIto go on to Washington. Within
a week, however, he received word that
the body had been washed on shore ;
that those good country people, gen
erous foes, had secured it, cared for
it, and were keeping it for him.
It happened that just at that time
imperative orders were issued from
the War Department prohibiting all
intercourse with the PENINSULA
necessary precaution against the pre-
mature disclosure of important mil
itary plans. So it was with some
misgivings that Colonel Scott applied
to Mr.. Secretary Stanton for leave TO
return to Virginia, On his melancholy
duty.
Impossible, Colonel" replied Mr..
Stanton emo one can have leave to
go down the river, at this time, on
any private mission whatever. Oar
present exigencies demand the most
stringent regulations, and | hope I
need not say to you that no merely
personal consideration should be al
lowed to interfere with great national
interests. Your case is a sad one,
but this is a critical, perilous, cruel
time. The dead must bury the
dead.'''
The Colonel would have entreated,
but the busy Secretary cut him short
with another impossible" from
which there was absolutely no appeal.
He went forth from the presence, and
returned to his hotel, quite over
Whelmed
Fortunately, he was that afternoon
visited by friend, to whom he told
the story of his unsuccessful appli-
cation and sad perplexity, and who
Immediately exclaimed, "Why not
apply to the President?''
The Colonel had but little hope,
but acknowledging that the plan was
worth trying, drove to the White
House.
They were too late. 1t was Sat
urday evening, and Mr.. Lincoln had
gone to spend Sunday at Soldier
Rest, his simmer retreat. This was
but few miles from town, and the
Colonel's indomitable friend proposed
that they should follow him out, and
they went. There was then a pop.
ular belief that all the wronged, The
troubled, and the suffering could find
a refuge in ''Father Abraham's ca
pacious bosom;" belief that was
not far out Of the way. Yet there
were times when oyerburdened, wear.
led, tortured, the patriarch longed t.
clear that asylum Of his forlorn in
mates, to bolt and bar and double
lock it against the world; times wher
life became too hard and perplexine
for his genial, honest nature, too Sc
rlous and tragic and rascally a thing