Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-20

it has held more than enough for regi
ment including girl babies Statesmen.
soldiers, judges, and men and women of
nearly All stations in life have slept be.
tween those rough boards. But / must
not draw on the fancy The facts will
absorb time enough
| Three of my great uncles and two of
my uncles were soldiers under Gen. Wash
ington in the revolutionary war. One of
them, Il major, was killed at Germantown.
The others returned to their Connecticut
homes after the war, one being colonel,
and the Others holding commissions of
some kind. The colonel served term in
congress early in this century. Only
think of it. they who defended our coun-
try more than century ago, and whose
bones have been whitening for many years,
were little babies and slept in this cradle.
Four of my uncles were soldiers in
the war of 1872. Two of them fought at
New Orleans under Jackson One was Il
major, two captains, and one lieutenant.
The major was an eminent lawyer, and
was supreme court ju Ige in Connecticut
ut the time of his death. One of the
captains was often in the legislature and
served one term rs speaker of the ms
sembly.
One of my brothers and two of my
sons were in the Mexican war. Both Of
my boys were wounded at the storming of
Mexico. { ne was a captain and the other
II lieutenant when they came home. My
son, the captain, is Il lawyer in Cincinnati
and has been lieutenant, served II term in
congress before the war from the Same
ate. Both are living. They were out
| hnr ,,tie La, .ntl I ,,.,t
tell you much about my daughters, and
sisters, aunts and great aunts, not to mem
tion grand daughters, who have occupied
this wonderful old cradle, but [ am sure
you do not desire me to 90 50 fully into
particulars,
"ln the last war eleven of my grand
sons We're soldiers 1t WIS hard to have
the fine fellows 60, but they were needed,
and would not nave prevented their en-
listing had 1t been in my power. hated
slavery, and felt from the start that the
war would kill it; and thank God, it did.
Five of The dear boys never came home.
One was killed while leading his regi-
ment in Gen. Grants attack on VickS-
bnrg. in June, 1868. Two captains were
with Reynolds at Gettysburg, aud were
captured and taken to Libby Prison,
where they died-star, ed to death. An
other was at Lookout Mountain, and the
other lost his life at the time of the mine
explosion in front of Petersburg, Virginia.
The other six We're wounded, two of them
lost an arm. One was "A brigader general,
two were colonies, one Il captain, one :,
lieutenant, and the other II sergeant at the
close of the war. The brigadier general
one Of the colones, and the two captains
who starved to death, spent their baby
hood, or good part OF 1t, in this old
cradle.
"When alone in this room it is easier
ior me to recall the faces I've seen in that
cradle than ii is for me to keep my mind
from wandering in that direction, so you
see haye good company when alone
You now understand why | prize it sc
highly. No one can tell how much
enjoy it.
But wait moment. There are two
things | want to show YOU Please turn
the old cradle bottom side up. There are
all the names of my relatives who fough
in dc fcnse of their country. together witt
the names and dates of the balLes in
which they were engaged"
The names and dates had been written
on paper glued on. Some of the worl
was done more than 100 years ago.
Here" proceeded my friend, e" in thi,
old wooden pocket fastened by that catcI
you see, are manuscript letters from al
The presidents. Most of the letters hav,
come in answer to requests made by my
self Washington's was sent to my grea
> uncle, who was colonel in his army
! John Q. Adams, jackson, Van Buren
Cen Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, FIJI
more, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, John
son. Grant and Hayes have each writer
me letter, as you will see by readin.
E them. The one from Mr. Hayes cam
last week. wonder if will live to as
! another president to write me Il letter fo
E the wooden pocketl wonder who will b
} the next president. Hope it will be Grant
9 You are weary, and so am |. You tax
g lhese letters out by the lake. in the shai,
E of that maple, and read them. DDn'
q tear them or lose one Of them for tn
= world. After tea bring them back to III
a and | will make you IL present"
The letters, or some of them, proved
' treat Some of them contained liltl
!. more than signature. This was true q
r Adams, Van Buren's FiImore's, Tyler
s and Johnsons. Those from president
It previous to Adams are important, and 1
8 special interest. copied few of tn
t more interesting ones, and give them u
, the public for the first time. commencing
Y with Old Hickory's:"
|, WASHINGTON. D. c., June 9, 1881
:, "Mrs. Mary Williams: remembt
~ your brother William, who was with III
=, in New Orleans. Give him the regards
!, his old commander Please accept this Il
:, my contribution to the old cradle"
" Respectfully,
= ANDREW JACKSON
Gen Harrison had been president but
few days when he answered Mrs Wi
), % liams' urgent appeal for II letter:
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 10, 1S4l.
o Dear Madam; 1t would be ungrat
< full in me not to comply with your mode!
. request All the requests that hive bee
= made since | became president have M
~ been SO modest rs yours. Let me wis
" you IL long life"
n Sincerely yours,
IS WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.
/ Zach Taylor wrote rs iolloWS:
l. WASHINGTON Sep. 7, 1919.
IS Dear Mrs. Williams: So you want
IS letter from the president. You shall ha,
J. it. The cradle that rocked some of Il
ID men who were with me in Mexico is el
le titled To that much recognition"
r Yours, q. TAYLOR.
/, President Pierce was brief. He said
Ie "Of course the old cradle shall have
it word from me- Hero it is" Respectful,
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
o Buchanan said:
a Certainly. Cradles never figured muc
k in my family, but they have done Il
Ie world good service"
10 JAMES BUCHANAN.
81 Kindly Abe Lincoln put off his answ,
l. for some reason or other unknown
5, "erandma." She said he made her "mol
a trouble than any of them, but it was goo
IL when it did come. | had to write seve