Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-11-11

grandeSt waterfall in the world, and
surely destined at no distant day to
become shrine for worldwide
pilgrimage.
Truly Yours,
CORNELIUS HEDGES.
Helena, Oct. Is, 1870.
President Liacoln's Horsemanship.
The Tribun", in an art criticism
on the "Lincoln Statue" so-called,
in Uh ion Square, says that an eques
trian statue was not to be thought
OF, because "Mr. Lincoln was no
horseman, like Washington or
Scott" While it may be true that
an equestrian statue, to represent Il
civilian and 'remarkably homclv
man," as the critic chooses to char
acterizc the late President, would
not be altogether appropriate, vel
the reason for not creating such Il
statue cannot he that he "was no
horscman." Ii is 4 great mistake.
President Lincoln was Il great horse
man. 1T can be asserted, truly,
that Abraham Lincoln ever did any
;hiny gracefully, it would apply to
his horscmanship more than to any
other act of his life. The writer
will never forget the first test in the
art Of riding applied to Mr.. Lincoln
during the war; nor will Gen. Me
Clcllan forget it. 1t was in Novem
her, 1851, Gen. Mcclellan was in
command of the army Of the Poto
mac, and Il grand review of 1900
troops was to be made by the Pres
idcnt. Some of McClellan's staff,
knowing that the General was a man
OF great endurance and expcrtness
IN the saddle, laughed at the idea OF
Mr.. Lincoln's attempting to keep up
with him in the severe er.!eal of RI
ding down the lines. They rather
limited hat the General would move
rapidly to test Mr.. LincoIn's capAci
t. us Il rider. There were those on
the lield in Virgin, that day, how
ever, W h. had seen Linculn n tie
saddle IN Illinois, and they were
very confident.
They knew their man. A srlen-
lid, large, black horse, very spirit
ell. WAS selected for the President
10 ride. When the time came, h,
walked up to the animal, and the in
syant he seized the birdie to mount
it was evident to horscmcn that he
knew his business. He had the an
imal in hand at once No sooner
was he in the saddle than the Goa
black stced began to prance, and
whirl. and dance, as it ne was proud
OF his burden. But the President
sat as undisiurbed and fixed to tho
saddle as ii be and the horse wer,
one. Lincoln was spurred and tn,
horse was curbed in the bit, both o
which facts the animal felt as keen
" rs the rider knew it. The test o
endurance soon came. Mcclellan
with his magnificent staff, approach
ed the President, who joined them
and away they dashed to Il distant
poin, on the field. The artillery be
gan to thunder, the drums beat, an,
the bands struck up "llail to tn,
ChicE," and the troops chcercd. Lin
coin, holding the birdie in one hand
raised his hat and much of the tim,
held it in the other hand. His horse
startled at the sudden, simultaneous
outbreak of cannon, drums and
voices, became quite active, but MOI
mmanagcahlc. KIe seemed to real.
izc the fact that his rider understood
his business.
Grandly did Lincoln receive the
salute, appearing as much undlS-
turbed 10y the da>hing movements
of the proud->pirited animal upon
which he sat us if he had passed
through such IN ordeal with the
same splendid creature before. Next
came the test Of endurance, Il long
dash over very rough, untraveicd
ground, with here and there Il ditch
or hole to he Jumped, or sideIing
to be passed. But Lincoln kept well
up with Mcclellan, who made good
time as everybody noticed. Lincoln
was at nome in the saddle: every
body saw it. Finally, the riding
down the lines was performed
amidst the floating of standards,
beating OF drums, loud cheering oi
The men, and rapid discharge Of ar
tiliery, every now and then startling
The best trained horses. One horse
fell under Major General, an old
army officer, VINO was in ured. The
President went on; his graceful char
ger, fired by the .ttnnul,uous scene,
snorlcd and paved tn earth as il he
would like 20 tear rl,,opieccs. Ian
coin sat cas- unto the end, when he
wheeled his horse into position t.
witness the vast columns march in
review. Mcclellan was surprised,
as were the members of his staff, at
the wonderful hor>csnanship OF Pres
!dcnt Lincoln. 1t WAS astonishing
now much the officers and men ap-
p!audcd Lincoln.
Many Il time during the war, did
he 90 to the front, and, mounting
some old w,r-chargcr, dash OF
among the soldiers, sometimes with
Mcclellan, sometimes with Burn
side, sometimes with Hooker, and
oitcntimcs with Grant. In Wash
ington, when he resided ut the Sol
d,erS' Home, Il few miles from the
White House, Mr.. Lincoln ottcncr
rode out and back in the saddle than
in Il carriage. He WAS fond OF
horses and horseback riding. He
early learned ''ittle Tad, his Young
est son. now in Germany, to ride
horseback. Tad, now quite young
man, was very skilltul rider before
his fathers death. lie was rs fond
Of Il horse rs was his father. Abra-
ham Lincoln was great lover of the
horse, and skilled rider. Nor did
he show his awkward form in the
saddle much, but he looked well. \
statue, with a horse between his
long legs, would look better and be
more appropriate than the abortion
in Union Square, representing Lin
coin standing under II Spanish cloak.
-.Ner I0uh. Mat.