Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-14
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
A New and Irse Stery rsId sf th. Late
President.

toe colonel OF a New Hsmps 1ire regiment Law
70. s9me weeks extremely iIl Of eamT 'eyer,
near Hampton Roads, IN NugInis. Hearing OF
uis CRITICAL condition. his wife LETT her mort bern
nome and. alter macn IA n ulty, mate her way
70 70 ms bedside Her cheerful presence asa sare-
fui nursing 80 far restored him that he was in
q snort time 70 be transferred 10 washington
In the Potomac uyer the steamer in which
the invalid onioer, Coi. Scott, and wife had
taken pssssge, was sunk. In COLLISION with a
larger vessel IN tue night tine The crew ant
nearly all the soldiers on hoard Were res NED
or saved themselves; but AMID the ufusion OF
the scene, Col. Scott became 80 srated from MS
wife and she was lost. The Colonel was picked
up IN the water BY the crew OF the larger steam
er. and under his direction every effort WAS
made 10 discover has wife, or rather her BODY,
for all hope of finding her ali We was abandoned.
The sad search was fruitless; II was resumed an
the morning, the people along 'he shore, hu-
name eonfederaies, lending their aid. But the
gray, s1iien river refus"d % give mp its dead,
ana the Young officer, half frantic with grief.
was compelled 10 60 pa TO Washi ugton. Within
one week, however, he received word from
below that the body OF the lady had been
washed on shore, that those eoot country pso-
pie, eep.IOus foee, had secured a., cared for if
and were keeping it tor ham.
IL happened tnai Just at tnst time imperative
orders were issued from the war dep trtment
prohibiting All intercourse with the penin-
sula-a NJ cessaTy precaution against the pre-
mature disclosure " important military Plaas.
80 II was with some mlseiyings thst CJl. scott
applied 10 Secretary Stanton Tor leave d re-
turn 10 hIrginia on ms melancholy duty
"lmpossinle, Colonel" replied Nc. stanton.
nimly; no one can have leave 90 90 down the
riNer, at this time, on any private missiou
Whatever. Our present exIg gencies demand the
most stringent regulations; and 1 hope need
not say 10 you that no merely personal cSusid-
eraiiops should be allowed TO interfere VITA
great national interests. Your case is a sad
one; but this Is critical, periIous, cruel time.
"The dead must bury the dead"
The Colonel would have entreated, but the
busy Secretary cut him short with another sIrn-
possible" from which the.e was absolutely
no appeal. He went forth from the presence,
and returned TO ms hotel, quite over whel med
Fortunately, he was that afternoon visited
by fr: md. 10 whom ne told the story Of his
uDsuccessful application and sad perplexity.
ana who lmmediately exclaimed, why not
apply 10 the President -
The colonel had but little hope. but acknowI-
edglng tina, the pan was wo IN trying, drove
with his friend TO the White House.
They were too late. IL was Saturday eve
ming, ard Mr.. Lincoln had gone 20 spend sun
day at Soldiers Home, hts summer retreat
Tbs was but lev miles from town, and the
coionefs indomitsble friend proposed that Ghey
should follow him Out, aud Iney went.
There was then popular belief that al, the
vronged, the troubled, ana suferiug could
nnd a refuge IN Father Abraham's" ca
pacious bosom; belief that was not far out of
the way. Yet there were times when over
burdeDeo. wea ried, tortured, the patriarch
longed TO clear that asylum OF has fJrlorn To-
mates, 10 holt ana bar and double lo,k 10
against the world; umes when Life became too
hard and perplexIng for has genial, honest ma
ture too serious and trag and rascally Il thing
by haf.
Ithsppened, unluckily, that the poor colonel
and has friend found the President IN one of
MS mos respondent and disguised moods. He
was Ia bis little private parlor, alone IN the
cleaning. He was Iounging loosely in a large
rocklpg-chair. jutting over it IN all directions.
Has slIppered feet Were exalted, his rough head
was thrown bacE, his long throat bare-ne was
IN his shirt. sleeves. Yes, dear, fsstidioUs Eng
hsh reader, IL was genuine Iankee abandon
make the most Of IL.
he torped upon his visitors looE OF almost
savage inquiry. There was, indeed; IN his uu-
usually Pheasant eyes a wild, angry gleam-
something like the glare OF q worried animal
al bay.
CeioneI Scott proceeded very modestly 70
tell his story; but the Pres ideat interrupted
him to say orusqueiy, ''Go TO Stanton, thIs rs
his business"
II have been 10 him, Mr.. President and ne
will do nothing for me"
lyon have been TO him and got your an
swer, and sull presume to come 10 me Am 1
TO my last businesses and worried TO de atm by
inches Mr.. Stanton has done Just right. He
knows what he rs about. Your demands are
unreasonable, sir"
II But, Mr.. Llncoln, 1 thought you would
feel for me-"
"FeeI for you, Good God have to feel
for five hundred thousand more unfortunate
than you. We are At war, sir; don't you know
We are al war /, Sorrow Is the lot of ali bear
your share like q man and a soldier "
Il try TO, Mr.. President, but It seems hard
nurse me IN my sickness, asd 4 cannot even
take her body home % my Children
We'll, she ought not 70 have come down 70
the army. She should have stayed at
home. That is the place tor women. But IL
they will 60 tearing about the cJuntry, in such
tunes as these, ana runnIng Into all sorts OF
oanger, tney must take the consequences! No
but thai am sorry for you, colonel AsfO
your wife, she's AT TEST, and wish were - n
Saying this, the President leaned blck
wearIly in his chair, and closed his eyes, not
~ . nRnf NV laOhr
the departure of hIs visitors.
am not ashamed 10 confess that my hero
tossed restlessly that night, upon pillow wet
with manly tears, that he was d. sperate and
resentful, utterly unresigned TO the degrees Of
Providence and the war department, aud that
he thought Abraham Lincoln as hard as he was
ugyl, and as inhumane as he was ungainly.
Toward morning ne fell asleep, and slept
late Before he was fully dressed. there came
quick knock al the door OF his chamber, and
be opened az TO President Lincolni
The good man came for ward, pale and eager,
tears glistsning in his eyes. and grasped the
colonel's hand, saying. 81 treated you bratally
last night. asked your pardon. I was ut
terly tired out badgered TO death. i generally
become about as savage a wild cat by Satur-
Day night drained dry Of the milk Of human
Kindness i must have seemed 70 You the
very gorilla the rebels paint me. / was sorry
enough for IT when you were gone. i could
not sleep moment last night. so 1 thought Ia
drive into town in the cool of the morning, and
make 4 ali right. Fortunately, / had little
This is very good Of you, Mr.. President"
said the colonel, deeply moved.
mo, il isn't; but that was very bad o.; me,
last night. i never should have forgiven my
self II had left that piece OF ugly work stand.
That was noble wife OF yours, colonel. You
were happy man 70 have such a noble wo-
man to love you; and you must be a good fell
low, or such a woman would never have
risked so much for you. And what grand wo-
men there are in these times, colonel WHAT
angels OF devotion and mercy, and how brave
and plucky.-gOing everywhere AZ the call OF
duty, facing every danger! L tell you, II it
Were not tor the women, we should all 90 70 the
devil, and should deserve to- They are the
salvation OF the nation. Now, come. colonel.
my carriage is at the door. I'll drive you TO
the war department, and we'll Stanton
about this matter"
Even at that early hour they found the sec
retary At his pest. The President pleaded the
case OF Col. Scott, and not only req uested that
leave OF absence should be given him, but that
a steamer should be sent down the river ex-
pressly 10 bring up the body OF his wife. "Hu-
manity, Mr.. Stanton" said the good President,
his homely face transfgured with the glow OF
earnest,tendertfeeling, "humanity should over
rule considerations Of policy, and even mill
tary ne cessity, in matters like this"
The Secretary was touched and he said some
thing OF ms regret Al not having felt himself at
liberty 70 grant COL Scots request in the nrst
place.
mo, no, Mr.. Stanton, said the President;
you did right in adhering 70 your OWE rules;
You are the right man for this place. II we
bad such q soft-hearted fool as i here, there
would be no rules or regulations that the army