The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-09-10
PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
A New and True Story Of the Late
l President.
IFrom Diclens's All theNear Round !

TFrom Dickens's All tleNear Round.l
During the summer of the mos
, disastrous and DOUBTFUL year OF tn
American war, the colonel of New
hampshire regiment lay for SOM
weeks extremely i'll OF camp fever
near Hampton Roads, in Virginia :
Hearing OF his critical condition, hi
wife left her Northern home, and
after much difficulty, made Ter way
to his bed side. Her cheerful pres
ence and careful nursing so fal
restored him, that he was, in shor
time, able to be transferred TO Wash
ington.
In the Potomac river, the steamer
in which the invalid officer, ColoneI
Scott, and his vile, had taken pas
sage, was sunk, in collision with 6
large vessel in the night tine. The
crew, and nearly all the soldiers oG
board were rescued, or saved them.
selves but, amid the horiible confu
sion of the scene, Colonel Scott be
came separated from his wife and
she was lost. The C. lionel was pick
ed up in the water by some of the
crew OF the larger steamer. and un.
der his direction, every effort was
made to discover his wife. or rather
body, for alt nope 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
refused to give mp It's dead, and the
youug officer, half frantic with grief,
was compelled to 90 to Washington.
Within week, however, he received
word from below, that the body OF a
lady had been washed on shore ;. that
those good country people, generous
foes, had secured il, cared for il, and
were keeping it for him.
Ii happened that just then imper-
alive orders were issued from the
war department, prohibiting all in
tercourse with the peninsula--a nee
essary precaution against the prema-
ture disclosure of important militia
ry plans. So it was with some mis-
givings that Colonel Scott applied to
Secretary Stanton for leave to return
to Virginia on his melancholy duty.
"Impossible, Colonel," }" replied Mr
Stanton, firmly; "no man can leave
to go down the river, at this time, on
any private mission whatever. Our
present exigencies demand the most
stringent regulations; and / hope ]
need not say 20 YOU that no merely
personal considerations should be
allowed to interfere with great na
tional interests. Your case is sad
one; but this is critical, peril0us,
cruel time. The dead must barry
the dead s.,.-
The Colonel would have entreated,
but the busy Secretary cut him short
with another "impossible,'' from
which absolutely there was n ap
peal. He went forth from the pres
ence, and returned to his hotel, quite
overwhelmed. - e 60
Fortunately, he was that afternoon
visited by friend, to whom he told
the story OF his unsuccessful applica-
ton and sad perplexity, who imme
diately exclaimed. "Why not apply
TO the President -l.-.
The Colonel had but little hope,
but acknowledging that the plan vas
worth trying, drove with his friend
TO the White House. h-l .ltsa
They were too late TWAS Satur-
day evening, and Mr. Lincoln had
gone to spend Sunday ct the Soldiers
Rest, his summer retreat. This was
but a few miles from town, and the
Colonel's indomitable friend propos-
ed that they should follow him out,
and they went.
There was then popular belief
that all the wron9ed, the troubled
and suffering, could find a refuge in
"Father Abraham'sn capaeious bo-
som; belief that was not far out of
the way. Yet there were times when
overbnrdened, wearied, tortured, the
patriarch longed to clear that asylnm
OF its IorlOrn inmates, to bolt and
bar and .double-lock it against the
world; times when life became too
hard and perpleXing for his genial,
honest nature too serious and trag
ic and rascally thing by half.
1t happened unluckily that the
poor Colonel aud his friend found |
tue President in one of his mnst
and disgusted moods.
He was in little private parlor,
alone in the gloom. He was loung
ing loosely in large rocking chair,
jutting over in all directions His
slippered feet were exalted, his
rough head was thrown back, his
long throat bare-he was in bis shirt
sleeves. Yes, dear, fasudious Eag
lish reader, it WAS genuine Yankee
abandon-make the most OF it. -.i
He turned npon his visitors aiook
of almost savage inquiry. There
wss, indeed, in his usually pleasant
eye, a Wild, angry gleam-a some
thing like the glare OF worried AMI
nal at bly. /;
Colonel Scott proceeded very mod
estly TO tell his story, but the Presi-
lent interrupted him, 10 say brusque
", $50 to Stanton: this is his busi-
ness " 3 .-,t = .lA11e
sI have been to him, Mr.. Presi-
lent, and lie will do nothing Cor me. "
"You have been 10 hiIa, and got
your answer, and still PresuEne tot
come to me. Am | 70 have no rest?
no privacy? Must / be dogged to
nv las. fasrnesses, and worried Co /,
ieath by inches Mr. Stanton has
lone just right. He knows what he
$ about. Your demands are urea R
.onable, SIR ' '.i5 sis1-olasd !,
"But, Mr.. Lincoln, / thought you
yould feel for me. y -oAt .'-2s1
.sFeel for you Good Coll 1
ave to feel for five hundred thou /,
and more unfortunate than you.-
We are at war, sir don't you know G
We are at war? Sorrow is the lot of
III; near your share like a man and !
,e a SOLDIER &C Esz555T esl Ealile
81 try to, Mr.. President; but it
Gems hard. My devoted wife lost
Ter life fer coming TO nurse me in
ny sickness, and ! cannot even take I
Ter body home to my children oIIt
swell, she ought not to have come n
lown to the army. She should have \
taid at home. That is the place for b
women. But il they will go tearing |