Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-10-01
PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
A NEW AND TRUE STORY OF THE LATE PRE-
sfDENT

NEW AND TRUE STORY OF THE LATE PRE-
sfpENT.
During the summer of The most disas-
trous and doubtful year Of the late Ameri-
can war, the Colonel ola New Hampshire
regiment lay for some weeks extremely
i'll of camp fever. near Hampton Roads in
Virginia. Hearing of his critical condi-
tivn, his wife left her Northern home, and
after much difficulty made her way to his
bedside. Her cheerful presence and care
ful nursing so far restored him that he
was in q short time able to be transferred
TO Washington.
In the Potomac river the steamer in
which the invalid officer, Colonel Scott,
and his wife, had taken passage, was
sunk in collision with a large vessel in
the night time The crew and nearly all
the soldiers on board were rescued or
saved themselves; but amid the horrible
confusion of the scene, Colonel Scott be-
came sc eparated from his wife and she was
lost. The Colonel was picked mp in the
water by some OF the crew of the larger
steamer, and under his direction every
effort Was made To discover his vile 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 confcder',tcs, lending their aid.
But the gray, sullen river refused tn give
up its dead, and the young officer, halt
frantic with griel was compelled to go to
Washington. Within week, however,
he received word from below that the
body of the Lady had been washed on
shore; that those good country people,
generous foes. hal secured it, cared for
it, aud were ,eeping it for him.
1t happened that Just at that time i'm
pvratiye orders were issued from the War
Department, prohibiting AL intercourse
with the Pennsuia--a necessary prccau-
tion against the premature disclosure q.
important military plans. So it VA, "
some misgivingS that Colonel Scott tP
piled to Secretary Stanton for lea a IL le
turn to Virginia on his melancholy duty.
impossible, Colonel" replied Mr.
Stanton. firmly "no man can have lea 4
TO go down the river, at this time, oil ahl
private mission whatever. Or present
exigencies demand the most stringent
regulations and hope need not say To
You that no merely personal consdera-
tions should be allowed 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 an
other impossible" from which there was
absolutely no appeal He went forth
from the presence, and returned to his
hotel quite overwhelmed.
Fortunately. he was that afternoon Wis
tied by friend, To whom he told the sto-
ry of his unsuccessful application and sad
pcrplexity, who Immediately exclaimed,
"Why not apply To the President?"
The Colonel had but little hope. but
acknowledging that the plan WAS worth
trying, drove with his friend to the White
House.
They were too late. 1t was Saturday
evening, and Mr.. Lincoln had gone To
spend Sunday at the Soldiers Rest, his
summer retreat. This was but few
miles from town. and the Coloners friend
proposed that they should follow him out.
and they went.
There was then popular belief that
all the wronged, the troubled and suffer
ing could find Il refuge in Father Abra-
hams" capacious bosom; n belief tina,
was not far out of the way. Yet there
were times when overburdened, wearicd,
tortured, the patriarch longed to clear the
asylum of its forlorn inmates, to bolt and
bar and double lock it against the world +;
times when life became too hard and per-
picking for his genial, honest nature. too
serious and tragic and rascally thing
by half.
1t happened unluckily that the poor
Colonel and his friend found the Presi-
dent in one Of his most despondent and
disgusting moods. He was in a little
private parlor, alone in the cleaning.
He was lounging loosely in large rock
ing chair, jutting over in all directions.
His sIippered feet were exalted, his rough
head was thrown back. his long throat
bare-he was in his shirt sleeves. Yes
dear, f;astidious English Reader. it was
genuine Yankee abandon-make the best
of it.
He turned upon his visitors a look OF
almost savage inquiry. There was. in