Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-05-29
LINCOLN's KlND-HEARTEDNEss.


sftion in Behalf Of soldiers.
Correspondence of the Boston Traveller.
Here is recollection of Abraham Lin.
coins kind-heartedness which has never
been published, that am aware of, but
which will not be forgotten by the "b0ys
in blue" who originally went to the war
enrolled in the old I'd regiment of Yer
mont. The command was stationed for
a while just beyond the chain bridge in
Virginia, opposite Washington (early in
the second year of the rebelliOn), and
among the privates was young man of
20, who had been found one night asleep
at his post of sentry, He was arrested,
ordered to be shot for this Offense. The
the night previous to that on which he
was unluckily caught sleeping at his
post, and thus, by army regulations, he
was exempt from being called to perform
guard duty on the occasion referred to.
But the cOmrade whose turn it was to
serve was sick, and young P vol
unteered in the others place, and fell
into dOZe, from WEAKNESS. $40
The adjutant of the regiment knew all
the facts, and he obtained leave for a
day and hurried to Washington, where
he waited on President Lincoln, and
begged him to interpOse in P-'s be-
half. He was delayed, however, and next
day at noon the condemned man was
marched to execution. His grave had
been dug, the regiment had been formed
into hollow square, the chaplain had
finished his final prayer, and the file of
soldiers had advanced in front of poor
P, who stood pale and trembling
beside his rude coffin, awaiting their shot,
when an officer upon horse came, at
fierce gallOp, rushing upon the scene
with a reprieve! The announcement
was made in a loud voice by the rider,
when the culprit fell to the earth sense
less, as wild shout of joy rang forth
from the sturdy lungs of his thousand
electrified cOmpanions-in-arms.
The President gave the matter atten-
ton at his earliest moment of leisure,
but had not reached the case until about
one hour before the time set for the ex
ecutiOn. Then, summOning an aide, he
dispatched him to the scene, ordering
stay of proceedings, while he telegraph
ed similar order to army headquarters
which latter message did not reach the
regiment until it would have been too
late but for the services of the aide. The
young man was afterward fully pardon
ed and restored to duty.
Mr.. Lincoln took his carriage the next
morning, and, accompanied by Mrs. Lin
coin, visited the head quarters of the Sd
regiment. While there he sat eOnvers-
ing with the commander, and another
soldier had just received a telegram
from Vermont informing him that "his
house had been burned the night pre-
viOusly and his child had been lost in
the flames. HE was anxious to obtain
a furlough to visit his home and afflicted
wife, but army rule would not permit.
He applied to his company captain, OBJ
tanned printed blank, filled it hastily,
and, rushing to LincOln's presence,
placed this and his dispatch i'm the
Presidents hands, implOring him to ap-
prove.
"Sign itw exclaimed Mrs Lincoln in
an earnest tone, as she read it. And,
hurriedly 'glancing at the two documents,
the kind-hearted cOmmander-in-chief,
with a pencil handed him by his wife,
wrote quickly, approved A. Lincoln"
and sent the humble soldier on his way
rejoicing. 1t was but few weeks af-
terward the Presidents general order"
was published and sent through the
army of Virginia, putting a stop to the
shooting of condemned Union soldiers
without the express sanction of the
Ommander-in-chief- humane act
never to be forgotten.