, 1883-07-07


be spared from home for military
service had to be gathered from q
wide distri t. When full, the COM
pany met at the neighbOring village
of Richmond to choose its officers.
In those days the militia men were
allowed to select their leaders in their
own way and they had a very pecu-
liar mode Of expressing their prefer
ence for captains. For then, as now,
there were almost always two candi-
dates for one Office.
They would meet on the green
somewhere, and at the appointed
hour the competitors would step out
from Tne crowds on the opposite
sides of the grounds, and each would
call on all the "boys" who wanted
him for captain to fall in behind him.
As the line formed, the man next
the candidate would put his hands
on the candidates shoulder, the
third man also in the same manner
to the second man ; and 50 on to the
end. And then the end would march
and cheer for their leader like so
many wild men, in order to win over
the fellows Who didn't seem to have
a choice, or whose minds were sure
to run after thegreutest noise. When
all had taken sides, the man who led
the longer line would be declared
captain.
Mr.. Lincoln never Outgrew the ia
miliar nickname, "Abe," but at that
time he could hardly be said to have
any other name than "Abe," in fact
he had emerged from clerking in
that little corner grocery as "HOnest
/ Abe" He was not only liked, but
loved, in the rough fashion of the
frontier by all who knew him. He
was good hand at cunning, fishing,
racing, wrestling and other games /;
he had tall and strong figure and
he seemed to have been as often ere
minded Of little story" in '32 as in
'62. And the few men not won by
those qualities were won and held
by his great common sense, which
restrained him from eXcesses even
in sports, and made him safe
friend.
1t is not singular, therefore, that
though a stranger to many of the en-
listed men che should have had his
warm friends who at once determin-
ed to make him captain.
But Mr.. Lincoln hung back with
the feeling, he said, that II there was
any older and better established citi-
zen whom the "bOys" had confidence
in, 1t would be better to make such
a one cnl,tair,. - Ia a,es'as-tay svnst
even more marked than his mOdesty;
and for his stock in education. about
that time, he wrote a letter to a friend
twenty-seven years later;
81 did not know much still, some
how l could read, write, and cipher
to the rule Of three, but that was ALL"
That, however, was up to the av-
erage education of the community !;
and having been clerk in a country
grocery he was considered an educa-
ted man.
In the company Mr.. Lincoln had
joined, there was dapper little fel-
low for whom Mr.. Lincoln had la
bored as farm hand year before,
and whom he had left on account of
in-treatment from him. This man
was eager for the captaincy. He put
in his days and nights "HOg-rOlling"
among his fellow volunteers said he
had already smelt gunpOwder in a
brush with Indians, thus urging the
value Of experience even thought
he had "martial bearing" and he
was very industrious in getting those
men to join the company who would
probably vote for him to be captain.
Muster-day came and the recruits
met to organize. About them stood
several hundred relatives and friends.
The little candidate was early on
hand and busily bidding for votes.
He had felt so confident of the office
in advance of mustcr-day, that he
had rummaged through several
country tailor shops and got a new
suit Of the nearest approach to a cap
tain's uniform that their scant stock
could furnish. So there he was ar
rayed in jaunty cap, and swallow
tailed coat with brass. buttons. He
even wore fine boots, and moreover,
had them blacked-which was al
most a crime amonga country crowd
of that day.
Young Lincoln took not one step
to make himself captain and none
to prevent it. He simply put him
self Gin the hands Of his friends" as
the politicians say. lie stood and
quietly watched the trouble others
were borrowing over the matter as
II 1t were an election Of officers they
had enlisted for, rather than for
fighting Indians. But after all n
great deal depends in war on getting
good officers.
As two o'clock drew near, the hour
set for making a captain, four or five
of young Kincgin's most jealous
friends, with big stalwart fellow at
the head, edged alongpretty close to
him, yet not in a way to excite sus-
picion ola conspiracy" Just lit
tie before two, without ever letting
"Abe" himself know exactly "what
was up" the big fellow stepped di-
rectly before him, clapped his hands
on his shoulders before him, and