Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-18
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
How Lincoln Might Have
Escaped Assassination.
POstpOuing an Engagement that He Had
Made for the Fatal Friday.


delphia Times says
HAD President Lincoln kept an en-
gagement he made with me he might
perhaps be living still," said Mr.. Ran
dali. of New York, formerly OF st.
Louis. the other evening. Mr.. Ran
dali is the father of Mrs. Garrison and
the conversation took place on the
piazza of her residence here. When
urged to tell the story of how this
could be, be mentioned that during
the latter part of the winter of 1866
he, knowing the state of affairs in the
part 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
no pay or clothing issued to them for
six months, were greatly dissatisfied,
and were maddened by the knowledge
Of the necessities of their wives,
children, mothers aud 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 rlids. 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 Confederates in arms in
that part of the country, and he felt
convinced the plan he urged would ef-
fectualIy dispose of Smith and his
men. and that money TO buy the nec-
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
duce all to cease raiding. "And if you
do not buy their cotton Mr.. Randall
plead, "they will burn iC rs soon as
they see Federal troops approaching
to seize it. It is ready alike for sale or
for the torch" He went to see Presi-
dent Lincoln finally himself, and sue
ceeded in convincing him OF the wis
dom 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
on the Mississippi, whence negotia-
tons 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 go well. the
boat was duly fitted up and stocked at
great expense and started on her trip,
but unfortunately delays were made
by 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-
coed. Finally, after many attempts
to set matters right, Mr.. Randall de-
termined to 60 to Washington again,
see Mr.. Lincoln, Stanton and Welles
and send the boat which had already
cost large sum to its destination
President Lincoln first made an ap-
pointment to see Mr.. Randall at the
White House on f riday evening. April
IA. 1865, and the latter was about to
take train from New York. whittier
he had gone. to Washington to keep
the en- gagement when he received a
telegram saying that the President
preferred to postpone the conversation
until Saturday evening. because he
wished TO have time, when it took
place. to talk at length with Mr.. Ran
dali and on Friday he wished to 90
see Laura Keene in .'Our American
Cousin"
20 Mr. Randall started from New
York Friday night to keep the en-.
gagement for Saturday evening, and
on reaching Baltimore next morning
was amazed to find his train under
arrest. the order having been issued
IL allow M trains - faa,,a tEat aft,v