The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-27
Lincoln and the Deserter.

On raw gloomy afternoon in the win
ter of 1864, Colonel Senter and the writer
had an appointment with President Lin
coin on business connected with the pro-
lection of the commerce of the lakes.
The war was ut the time the almost ex-
elusive subject of public thought or pri-
vate conversation The streets Of Wash
ington were filled with soldiers and army
officers, and the whole city was appar-
emily nothing but q great camp, to and
from which the members of the army and
navy were constantly going and leaving.
The ante-rooms of the White House were
filed from morning until evening With
members of Congress, soldiers, men and
women of every age and nation, all bent
upon getting personal interview with
the President. Sometimes the rush of
visitors was so great they could not be
accommodated in the corridors of the
White House, ana the order would be
given to admit no one except privileged
persons into the building. On the after
noon in question, as we were about to be
ushered into the private room of the
President, Mr.. j, a well-known law
yer from Ohio, seized both of us some
what roughly by the shoulders, and beg
ged us in earnest tones for the love of
L.
see him and his client, if only for one
moment. '.All day" he said, 1--WE have
tramped wearily by the door, hoping in
vain the President would relent and give
us hearing. Look, for mercy's sake, ="
he continued, sat that noble white head
and tottering figure, with the hands
tightly clasped nervously before him.
That old man is father; his only son,
lad of 19, is to be shot this afternoon at
o'clock, unless the President interferes.
Stanton has approved the sentence. Lin
coin has declined to interfere, he will
not see me, and unless we can get the
ear of the President the boy will be shot,
and this old man and his wife will be
maniacs."
The father of the boy at the moment
came forward, a venerable gentleman
with long white hair falling upon his
shoulders. His face was one of the sad
dest sights ever saw. The grief and
anxiety so plainly written upon it showed
the torture he was suffering. We took the
old man kindly by the hand, told him we
would beg the President to see him and
bid him hope for the best. Mr.. Lincoln
| was in the gayest of humors, something
specially funny having taken place in an
interview just closed with large commit
tee from Baltimore, and he recited the
whole matter in the merriest manner, ac-
companied with shouts of laughter. For
an hour Mr.. Lincoln gave himself up to
relaxation and rest, telling the usher to
bring him no cards till he rang his bell
At the end of this time John G.. Nico-
tay, then Private Secretary. now Marshal
| of the Supreme Court, came quietly into
lhe room, leaned over the Presidents
chair and whispered some words of pri-
| vate conversation in his ear. In an in
slant the President ceased speaking, his
face became calm and solemn in compo-
sure, and he appeared to reflect gravely
for moment before replying. Quietly
looking back over his chair he said slowly
and distinctly: ''Tell Mr.. - will not
see him. I cannot. Don't ask me again.
Tell him I have read the papers in the
case, all of them fully, word for word.
| The boy deserted three times, the last
time when on guard at Washington, and
he cannot be pardoned. [ will not inter-
fere. He must be shot," Mr.. Nicolay at
once left the room, and Mr.. Lincoln
again renewed the conversation at the
point where he had broken off. He made
no allusion to the interruption, and evil
IDENTIFY did not wish either of us to speak
of the subject in any manner. 1t was
plain that his mind was made up and his
decision irrevocable.
The lawyer, on getting the message
from Mr.. Nicolay, admitted further effort
was useless, and at once started with his
client to cross the bridge into Virginia,
and drive where the boy was confined q
prisoner. They reached the camp in
time to find the young man ready for ex-
-ecution. The parting between father
and son was so affecting that no one
could look upon it. The officer in COM
mand had the broken-hearted old man
carried tenderly to tent, and at
o'clock promptly the young soldier was
shot dead as deserter in presence OF his
regiment Cleveland Herald.