Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-09
PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
How He spared Ihe Life of An Old
Friend.
Tndfanapolis SentineL.

During the war man caught violating a
military law at Memphis was doomed ~ a
court martial to suffer the extreme penalty
The sentence bad been approved by Gen
eral Hurlburt, then in command. The time
appointed for execution was but three days
of. when a little woman, thrObbiDg like a
wild bird in the hands Of its captOr. ar
rived in Washington, with a letter to Con
gresham voorhees,. She was the daughter
OF the man standing in the shadow OF
death. Her mission was to see the Presi-
dent Mr.. Voorhees, deeply moved by the
wOman's story and distress, suffered scarce
Is a moment to elapse before calling with
her on Senator Hendricks. The plan hastily
suggested itself to him was to have the two
Senators from Indiana, of whom the late
Henry s. Lane was the senior, conduct the
woman, pleading for fathers life, to Mr.
Lincoln. The three presented themselves %
Mr.. Lane, who, after making some preparl-
tiOn to Join the escort, asked: "What is he
charge against your fathers" "He at-
tempted TO carry quinine TO the enemy" F"
''If that IS the case" answered Mr.. Lane,
''the verdict is correct, and 1 cannot inter
fere.n
Hope seemed to depart from the women,
and she looked as II she were in the awful
presence Of death. At this point Mrs Lane
entered the room at will not do" said
the lady, addsessing her husband; "this
woman has come TO see the President, and
20 Is your duty 20 cOnduct her" He surren-
dered, took deep interest, and the party
stsrted for the Executive Mansion, where it
was a. once admitted, and found Mr.. Lin
coin diseugsged.
Mr.. Hendricks, who only remembered
the lady as a ''little woman" introduced
her, but she. having never seen a President
before, seemed 10 have lost the power OF
speech. You will perhaps remember her
father. He once lived I'm Springfield" "
Yes answered Mr.. Lincoln, Il remember
him well. On one occasion a farmer came
to my Cfiice. and taking me for that gentle
man, insisted, You must come out and
preach again next Sunday. Your last ser
mon did great good. and was thought the
best we ever heard I rather liked being
thought a Methodist preacher and did not
break the delusion. Oh yes, | remember
him well, and there was some resem blance
between US" "She brings you terrible
news from that man to-day. He Is to be
shot li' "To be shot ~ Here Mr.. Hendricks
wished the little woman 10 speak, but she
was invOluntarily dumb. "Sbe brings a
statement OF the case to you, 1 believe"
Taking the five closely written pages of
fOOlscap, Mr.. Lincoln settled back into the
chair, and folding his legs I'm the manner
that has so often been described, proceeded
to read It aloud, but to himself. The read
utes he must have forgotten the govern
ment, the army, snd everything, so COM
pletelv was he absorbed in the paper. This
concluded, he looked up and around the
room, when his ewes, falling upon the little
woman, rested for a moment. Soon he
spoke: "YOur father shall not be shot. 4"
The great weight Of dread and agony these
words lifted from the little woman and the
expression OF gladness that beamed from
her face, like q June morning, when the
world looks as though there had never been
a war and that It contained no grave, no
pencil could depict
81 guess" continued Mr.. Lincoln, partly
as II cOmmuning with himself, II had bet
ter telegraph Hurlburt-yes, I'll telegraph
Hurlburt at Once;n and then he proceeded to
write the message. This was slow, careful
work, but, concluding it, he said: "Yes,
that viii do" In response to a bell a sec
retary appeared "Take this message" :"
said Mr.. Lincoln, in the commanding tone Of
a President, sand send it quickly, remain at
the ONCE until It gets through; see that
10 is answered aud that | am informed. -
Thus briefly was this duty made obligatory
upon the secretary, snd the executive mind
wss at rest. Mr.. Hendricks has forgotten
what became Of the other people, but he re
members. after having risen to depart, Of
reseating himself and the talk that for some
moments followed. Mr.. Lincoln laughed
about the article OF Quinine, and did not
think taking it across the lines an Offense
meriting death. He knew the country about
Memphis: It was mslarial and life without
quinine was almost impossible. He thought
II hardly proper to put down the rebellion
by giving people oyer to an ague.