Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-05-16
An Unpubllsth sd Iac'dsat in he Life
of abraham Lincoln.

In the winter of 1915, after the bat
Tie At Nashville The first Minnesota heavy
artillery WAS left in charge Of the fortif.
cations about Chattanooga and Lookout
ountain. Oae day, while 10 camp,
inst outside She redoubt3 of Cameron Hill.
famous in the battles of that locality, an
orderly from General Steadman's head
quarters rode up with large official en-
velope sticking under his belt and prompt
ly INQUIRED f. the commanding officer Of
battery B.. Fir.t Minnesota heavy ar
tllery!' Capt l.. j. Alfred ut once
made his appearance and received the en-
y.lupe, when was directed from the secre-
tary of w,r at w ashipgton, and contain
ed the following letter with ink of indigo.
Money Creek p. O, MINI,
.. Jan. 26, 1865. J
Dear friend Mr. Lincoln, president:
rite TO ask you if you wont plese send
my hu band home to ne and the children,
the snow is very deap and 1t Is SO cJlu and
have two Gerry the wud and evey mite the
pore Iitie things cry fur ihair pa as they go
10 ed in the cold, and don't see how can
Gerry the wud, all winter to keap tn. m
from trez my husbands name is Jhn me-
kinstry and he is in battery b. first min ar
larry and they was at ehattsnugy the last
tier ne rote, now mis- L,ncoln wont You
k your husband to let my hush nd cum
home to me and the pore little children,
ple,e do for if john was president and your
husband was in the WAT and you bad TO
Ger he wud wud ask him to seno MIS-
ter Lincoln home. o do hope you VII,
he has been gone so long.
F. 5. If he sends john home YOU please
rite End let me no whether he Will GIT or
the bote ct LaCros or WlnOny.
from your loving friend
Jane Mckinstry.
sIThis letter from Jane McKinstry TO the
"pfesident" was accompanied bya note
from secretary Stanton stating that Mr..
Lincoln rad directed the letter to DO for
wardpd TO the battery for reference Being
one of the lieutenants f the battery Twas
called up to hear the letter red: and right
hearty laugh we had over 1t. McKinstry
vas az the lime detailed as battery cook,
and we could not well get along without
him. But the next day, before the captain
had time to report adversely in matter, the
same orderly came galioping up with An
other largs envelope under his belt from
the war department, which upon being
opened, was foand to contain the follow
ing;
DEPARTMENT OF WAR WASHINGTON, D. @
Jan. ID, 1856,
Special order, No. 1910 '-..
10 Comm Dig officer battery Let MINI.
heavy artillery:
You are hereby ordered to honorably
discourage from service of the U.S.S. John
McKinstry Of your command, .t
~ Erwin M, STANTON. &.
Secretary OF War.
By special dire ton of A Lincoln pres
idpnt. .....
OF course we were amazed, for just then
it was.s difficult thing even to get furlough,
for no one knew just where Hood might
turn up in his retreat from Nashville But
McKinstry was called up and the papers
shown him, which was evidently a great
surpr SO The artll cry men gathered
round, heard the news, and gave three
cheers for John Mckinstry and three rous-
ing cheers for Ane Lincoln. And the
next day found McKinstry with a dis
cba,ge 10 his pocket on the way HON /; for
the liberator of four millions Of weak and
helpless human beings; the great
statesman; the peer of Washington, could
not resist the appeals of y humble, honest
hearte mother in brhalf of her children.
But we never heard whether Mrs. Lin
coin told Mrs. McKinstry to meet her
bu.b4nd at Winona or L4croSses Ii this
should come to Mcktnstry's eye may be
ha cotlld toll