The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-05-29
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
A Hitherto Unpublished Anecd.ts of
the Late President.

|
I New anecdotes of President I'm.
coin are sufficiently rare, but here ia
one which is authetic and oh.roat.n 70
istic, whether we consider tho Pros
ident's goodness of heart or ,bo
nelVe''e @ WIN wmGh n 1t found express
sien. Wnen Co!pnel Multi gan's
chicago regiment lay in camp away
down South, one of the privates,
call him Barney D., in moment
OF passion and intoxication stabbed,
terribly mangling . comrade. Bar.
ney was one of the hard characters
OF the command, al nd it was a mat
ter of no surprise when the court
martial sentenced him for this last
and gravest of his many offences to
be shot, and fixed the day for his
execution. Mean while, to the sur.
prise of every ne, including the
surgeons, the woun ded man began to
recover, and was soon pronounced
out of danger. Public opinion took
the usual turn. Tt was thought a
pity, after all, to 81 hoot fine young
ieiiow, such as Barney was In his
better moments besides he was one
of the boys, had b een born in Chica.
go like them, grown up with them,
enlisted with them and fought with
them. A movment looking to q
petition for the culprit's pardon was
set on foot, in whic b none Joined mere
heartily than the wounded man, and
the camp, which, but yesterday,
was for lynchlng Barney, now yearn-
ed to save his life! But the Gener-
al commander b ad approved the
finding of the oourt-martial, and only
the President CO uld interfere, and
the regiment was camped away from
the telegraph Ii mes. Though the
necessary documents had been for
warded, backed by strong recon-
mendations, there were grave doubts
If the merciful msssags which Mr..
Lincoln was almost certain to send
would reach the camp in time. An
express was sent to the nearest tele-
graph station, thirty miles away, to
carry the message with all haste
and all waited inn patiently.
The night before the fatal day ar.
rived. Barney " as to be shot at
sunrise the next day. No reprieve
had arrived, and reluctantly the ad-
jutant prepared the necessary ,or-
ders, detailed the fringlparty, arrang-
ed for parade. The night wore on.
1t is safe to. say that net an eye was
closed in the camp, and every ear
was strained for the sound of hoof-
beats from the East. Past mid
night-one two! three O'Clock
There were NOV ements in the great
Eastern sky the brilliant Southern
stars paled it W as almost dawn.
Suddenly faint sound was heard,
IS of shout awa BY to the East. The
excitement became electric. Man
rushed from their tents, half dressed,
in anxious groups. The officers were
hardly less ex xcited, and mingled
with them. Th en- in rapid success.
sion were heard challenge and reply
as the advancing party passed SEN
try after sentry, then the tramp and
splash OF hoofs, and at last burst into
view the long looked-for messenger,
covered with m nd from head to foot,
wan and worn out, his horse painting
travel.stained and bruised, for they
had come thirty miles since mid
night, along roads that were sluices
of mud and water. The rider held
his way straight to Colonel's tent and
delivered his telegram. It read
| thus:
WAsHIN GToN-,ls6.
Col. MULLIGAN: IF
you have not shot Barney D. yet
don't.
A. LINCOLN.
They hadn't and they didn't