The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-26
LINCOLN IN INDIANA.
"Reminiscences of the Residence of the Family
in Spencer County.


the Lincoln farm. On seeking further informa-
ton he informed me that it was the farm owned
and occupied by Thomas Lincoln, the father of
President Lincoln and where the latter passed
most OF his youthful years; this arrested my at
tention and decided meto stop at Lincoln Station
(which takes It's name from the FARM and pass
a few hours amid the scenes and surrounangs
which had been so familiar to the martyr ed
President. The place is in Carmen township,
Spencer county Lincoln Station is located in
the centre of the Lincoln homestead, and is now
a village of dozen buildings or so, having the
usual concomitants of a store blacksmith
shop and saloon Into this then wild and
rough region, almost literally in the
wilderness, Thomas Lincoln moved his family,
composed of his wife and two children. named
Abraham and Sarah, in 1888 He built his
cabin on a knoll some fifteen rods from where
the depot is now located. Young Lincoln at
this time was in his eighth year, and for the
next fourteen yeers this was to be his home.
Here he was to pass through the formative period
of character Here, in extreme poverty, in the
hard and rough life he was leading in that wild
scenery, coming in contact with nature il its
crudest forms, without books CD means of study,
and therefore left more fully to the study of
nature without social advantages or schools,
but under the teaching of q good Christian. de-
voted mother, the foundations of that character
were laid which were to develop such remarka-
Dl6 prdCUlcdl common sense, Sucn SOUND 1edSOu-
ing and Judgment, and such adaptability and
mastery skill in dealing with and shaping the
great events with which his name was to be for
ever afterwards associated.
The cabin has been removed, and nothing re
mains to mark the spot where 1t stood but the
partly filled cellar and solitary cedar tree near
by planted by young Abraham.
found an aged man in the vicinity who was
Abe's playmate, and from him learned much
that was interesting in regard to his early habits
ST IN nd ic foy,
books which he was not able to obtain. He read
everything he could find in all the region about;
it may have been that this deprivation Of books
and the means Of learning threw him upon his
own resources and led him into those modes of
thought, of quaint and apt illustration and'log-
zeal reasoning SO peculiar to him. lie was about
the only one in the vicinity who could read and
write; he was Doted for his kindness to every
one, and his services were frequently drawn
upon by the-SettierS to write their letters a
kindness he always cheerfully rendered Said
the old man: ABE was airs much given
to larnin,." Whenever the court was in
session he was frequent attendant as Of
ten as he could be spared from the
Of the name Of John A. Breckenridge was to ap-
pear in any case Breckenridge was the fore
most lawyer in that region, and was widely
famed as an advocate in criminal cases. Lincoln
was then sure to be present Doing his chores
in the morning, he would walk to Boonville the
county seat of Warrick county. seventeen miles
away, and then home again in time to do his
chores at night repeating this day after day.
The lawyer came to know him. Years afterward,
when Lincoln was President venerable gentle
man one day entered his Office. in the White
House, and, standing before him, said: Mr.,
President, you don't know me-" Mr.. Lincoln
eyed him sharply for moment, then quickly
replied with a smile: Eyes, do you are John
A. Breckenridge. I used to walk thirtyfour
miles day to hear you plead law in Boon
Vile, and listening to your speeches at the bar
first inspired me with the determination to be a
LAWYER"
ton for his mother, and ever strove to relieve
her as much as was in his power of the cares and
burdens of their hard life. Although her lot
cast in that humble sphere, it was evident
from all that could learn that she was a supe-
rlor woman, possessing all the traits of a true
and noble mother, and that she left an impress
sion for good upon her young son whichhe never
threw off.
Thomas Lincoln and wife were of strongly
marked religious character and were mem bers of
the Baptist faith. Whenever services were held
in the log building mile distant, which passed
for a church, they and their two children were
there, but the wife and mother was not long to
be with them The fatal disease of consumption
had fastened upon her, and her llte was slowly
wasting away, Day by day young Abraham sat
by her bedside and read to her for hours such
portions of the Bible as she desired to hear.
During the intervals in reading she talked to him
in the ways thereof She portrayed to him the
beauties of the Christian faith, the hope OF the
Christian life and the JOYS of the eaVenly
kingdom to which she was going The end was
at hand, the faithful watchers at the bedside OF
the dying woman felt the shadow creeping upon
light Of the lowly cabin went slowly out--the
mother had rest. Abraham gave way to grief
that could not be consoled. They laid her ten
DERBY away In an opening in the timber an
ri, IL Of f1,ah
ster could be procured at the time to perform
the last sad rites, but symPauhizing friends
offered up sincere prayers over the dead. This
simple service did not seem to the father and son
to be a sufficient tribute to the memory of the
true and exemplary wife and mother whose loss
they so sorely felt, so when springtin came the
boy wrote to Elder Elkin, who lived near the
family when they were in Kentucky, appealing
to him to come and preach a funeral
sermon over his mothers grave. adding
that granting this request would be to him
and his father and sister q lasting favor The
good man cheerfully complied with the request,
though it involved a journey of over 100 miles on
horseback; and one lovely day the people came
from all the country around and gathered about
the grave, the minister discoursed to them the
virtues and estimable qualities of the departed,
and commended her worthy example for the
emulation of all. AS the last prayer was said
the whole audience fell upon their knees on the
ground around the grave, and this, the last
scene in the burial of his mother, was ended.
The grave is inclosed with high iron fence, and
at it's head stands beautiful white marble
stone, on which is inscribed the following:
Nancy Hawks Lincoln, who died Oct ). 1918,
aged thirty five years. Erected in 1879 by a
friend of her martyred sem" This friend, l was
informed, is one Of the Studehaker Brothers,
extensive wagon manufacturers at South Bend,
Ind.
While standing by the solitary grave in the
forest the thought crowded itself upon my mind
how little did she whose dust was lying there
mingling with earth realized when in life she had
brought into being whose fame would yet
resound through all Christendom as one of the
great characters of modern history
In the course of couple of years there came
to the cabin a new mother, of whom it must be
said that tradition gives her the credit, in that
neighborhood, of having been most excellent
step-mother She lived to see her step-son
President of the United States.
In 1890 becoming dissatisfied with that sec