The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-09
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
How Lincoln Might Have
Escaped Assassination.
POstponing an Engagement that He Had
Made for the Fatal Friday

Made for the Fatal Friday.
A Long Branch letter to the Phila-
1elphia Times says:
"lIad President Lincoln kept an en-
yagement he made with me he might
perhaps be living STILL" said Mr.. Ran
1al, of New York, formerly of st.
Louis, the other evening. Mr.. Ran
iall is the father Of Mrs. Garrison and
The conversation took place on the
piazza of her residence here. When
lrged to tell the story of how this
could be, he mentioned that during
The latter part Of the winter of 1865
ae, knowing the state of affairs in the
oart of Missouri within the confeder-
ate lines and in the adjacent States,
where Kirby Smith, with 10000 men,
was only held in check and kept from
making raids by 10000 men of the
Union army, and, being aware that
Kirby Smith and his men, having had
90 pay or clothing issued to them Tor
six months, were greatly dissatisfied,
and were maddened by the knowledge
Of the necessities of their wives,
children, mothers and sisters, who
were actually bare-footed as well as
otherwise scantily clothed, thought
that he would try by peaceable means
to rid that part of tho country of
Smith and his men and prevent their
making any more raids. This he
sought to do by getting permission
for Union men to buy their cotton,
which he knew was packed ready for
sale, and permitting the destitute
Southerners to buy the necessities of
life in return.
lie opened negotiations with Presi-
dent Lincoln at Washington through
| ''Dick Yates, who at one time was
Governor of Illinois, and represented
to him the wise policy of adopting the
plan he proposed, for he said there
were no other Confelerates in arms in
that part of the country, and he felt
convinced the plan he urged would eff
fectually dispose of Smith and his
men, and that money to buy the nee
essaries of life procured by the sale of
cotton and the opportunity given to
purchase such supplies would, he
thought, convert some of them into
good union men, while it would in
1uce all to cease rading. "And if you
do not buy their cotton" Mr. Randall
plead, "they will burn it as soon as
they see Federal troops approaching
70 seize it. 1t is ready alike for sale or
for the torch" lie wenC to see Presi-
lent Lincoln finally himself, and sue
ceeded in convincing him of the wis
lom of the proposed plan and secured
The necessary permit to stock a boat
with supplies and to send it and pur-
chasers of cotton to proper points
IN the Mississippi, whence negotia-
ions might be opened for the pur-
chase of the cotton so much needed in
Northern factories and for the sale of
food and clothing to the starving, rag
ged Confederates.
All seemed likely to 60 well. the
boat was duly fitted up and stocked at
great expense and started on her trip,
put unfortunately delays were made
oy the naval officers commanding our
squadron on the Mississippi and by
army officers guarding posts on land
and the vessel was not allowed to pro
,ecd. Finally, after many attempts
to set matters right, Mr., Randall de
termined to 60 to Washington again
see Mr.. Lincoln, Stanton and WelleE
aud send the boat which hal already
cost a large sum to its destination
President Lincoln first made an ap
continent to see Mr. Randall at the
White House on L riday evening, Apri
ID, 1865 and the latter was about tt
take train from New York, whithe
he had gone, to Washington to keel
the engagement when he received ;
telegram saying that the Presiden
preferred to postpone the conversation
antil Saturday evening, because h
wished to have time, when it tool
place, to talk at length with Mr.. Ran
1all and on Friday he wished to &C
see Laura Keene in "Our American
Cousin"
So Mr.. Randall started from New
York Friday night to keep the en-
gagement for Saturday evening, ant
On reaching Baltimore next morning
was amazed to find his train unde
arrest, the order having been issueC
20 allow no trains to leave that city
in any direction, and was appalled, tt
earn that the cause of this was tn,
assassination of President Lincoln in
Washington the previous night.
The Evolution of the Armchair.
The transition from the arm chair