The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-06-29
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The True Story Of the Great War Presi.
dents Eventfal Life.

56U pages, anu bringing tnG stoiy uOWn
to lis Inauguration as President III 1861.
The author thus explains the peculiarly
favorable circumstances under Which his
book has been prepared:
At the time of Mr.. LincoInsS death, |
determined to write his history, as had
in my possession much valuable mate
rial for such a purpose. did not then
imagine that any person could have bet
ter or more extensive materials than |
possessed. Isoon learned, however, that
Mr.. William II. Herndon, of SpTin gfield,
Ills, was similarly engaged. There could
be no rivalry between us; for the SUI
Dreme object of both was TO make the
real history and character of Mr.. Lincoln
as well known to the public as they were
to us. He deplored, ais | did, the many
publications pretending to be bi0graph-
les which came teening from the press,
SO long as the public interest about Mr..
Lincoln excited the hope of gain. Out
of the mass of works which appeared,
of one only-Dr. Holland sis it possible
to speak with any degree of respect.
Early in 1869, Mr.. HeTndOn placed at my
disposal his remarkable collection of
materials-the richest, rarest and fullest
collection it was possible to conceive.
AIeng with them came an offer OF hearty
cooperation, of which / have ayailed
myself so extensively, that no art OF
mine would serve to conceal it. Added
to my own collections, these acquisitions
have enabled me to do what. could not
have been done befOre-pT an au-
thentic biography of Mr. Lincoln.
Very obviously this is an authentic
life, though many of its details are sur
prising, and much of it will be almost
incredible as well as repulsiye to many
readers. 1t is a faithful portraiture of
our greatest modern President. and of
the circumstances among which he grew
up and which formed and influenced his
character. A few extracts will enable
our readers to judge the quality OF the
work:
MIR. LINCoLN,s PARENTAGE.
Abraham Lincoln was born in Ken
lucky, February 18th, 1909. His fathers
name was Thomas Lincoln, and his moth
er's maiden name was Nancy Hanks.
Thomas seems to have been the only
member of the Lincoln family whose
character was not respectable. He was
idle, thriftless, poor, a hunter and aTOver.
One year he wandered away off to his
uncle, on the Holston, near the eonfnesof
Tennessee. Another year he wandered
into Breckenridge county, where his easy
bully, and he perfOTme the only remark
able achievement of his life by whipping
him. In 1906 we find him in Hardin
county, trying to learn the carpenters b
trade. Until then, he could neither read
nor write, and it was only after his mar
riage that his ambition led him to seek
accomplishments of this sort. Thomas
Lincoln was not tall and thin, like Abra-
ham, but comparatively short and stout,
standing about five feet ten inches In his
shoes. His hair was dark and coarse,
his complexion brown, his face round
and full, his eyes gray, and his nose large
and prominent. He weighed, ut differ
ent times, from 170 TO 1876. He was built
so tight and compact that Dennis
Hanks declares he never could find the
points of separation between his ribs,
| though he felt for them often, He was
q little stOOp =shoulde and walked
with slow, halting step. But he was
| peaceable disposition once fairly over
and-tumhle fight. He thTashed the
monstrous bully of Breckenridge county
| IN three minutes, and came off without
a scratch.
His vagrant career had supplied him
with an inexhaustible fund of anecdotes,
which no fold eIpverlv and well He
loved to sit aIpo11t al asfores. y or nnfIaT
shade-frees. and "sDip yarns "a nro-
nengify which afoned for MANY sins. and
made him exfremely nonnlar. III IpoIi-
ties ne was 4 Democsraf-a Jackson De
| n1ncrat. m religion he was nothing nj
times, and a member Of various den0m-
nations by tnrns-a Free will Baptist
in Kentucky, q Presbyterian in Indiana,
/ hellife-in Illinois. IN this latter com
1 nalIllio.l ne seems fo have died. Tfonrhf
4 narhalas. fa ia annfionaI. that hnfh N
/ Virofnia AMI Ear4I,TIrv Ills naY,le was
Commonly nr0nosneed 9 i 3inckhnrn. Z
/ and IN Indiana. z I,inkhern. y The I1sap
/ was q paneraI that Tom Lincoln ean3e
yervn losing his real name altogether
/ A he never, wrote III AZ All 1lnfiI afta1. his
/ marriage. and wrote itfIle41 ol1lv necha1,.
/ icaIly. If was never spelled one yyay al
/ flle other. IlnEess In II sfora-keener here
i and there. who had 4 anaalf acco1,nl
against him. Whether II yy,ss 11siolaes.iY !
G TIinc0Ilr.'' 4 I,inekllOrn.n or ieIInek.
hern. Y YVas rlflt tlfsffnitelv snftlesl 11rfi1
/ after Abraham began to write. when. a.
one of tile neighhors basif. g he renaosl.
i eled tile syleI1iIlg and corrected fhp Tr0.
/ nuneiatiOn.
/ Nancy Hanks was d slender. gy1nn1ef.
rical woman, of medium stature. 4 hIll,
Inette. with dirk hair. regular features
and soft. sparkling hazel ewes. TentierIy
4 bred she might have been beautiful: plil
i hard labor and hard usage bent herhansl.
some form, aud impaired an unnatural
eeaTEeness to her features long before
the period OF her death. Toward thu
sclOse, her lite and her face were equally
sad; alla the latter hahitually wore ths
i woful expression which afterwards dis.
| tingiished the cGuItenance Of her soT