The Southern herald., 1885-07-18
lincoln and Stanton.
AN INTERESTING STORY TOLD By GEN
J. b FRY.

tlc pension 4OAA n9 kne uuokaA OVfc1h~
ment. Oddly enough, too, the respon-
sibility for this action Of the authorities
at Washington in 1885 can be traced di-
rectly to a special order given by Presi-
dent Lincoln little over twenty years
age. On Sunday last Gen. Jas. B. Fry,
who was Provost Marshal Of the United
States during the rebellion, published in
the Tribune paper giving his reminis-
seences of Mr., Lincoln. The most in
teresting feature Of the article was an
account Of contest which he witnessed
between Lincoln and Stanton, and Of the
Presidents victory over the Secretary.
After compulsory military service was
resorted 10, States and districts often
sought to save their own citizens from
being drafted into the army by voting
bounties to buy men wherever they could
be found. The agent appointed by a
county in one of the Middle States, who
was supplied with the necessary bounty
money, learned that some Confederate
prisoners of war at Chicago were about
to be released and enlisted in our army
for service against the Indians in the
Northwest. The thrifty thought occur
Z red to the agent that he might pay these
prisoners bounty for doing what they
were going to do without any pay at all +,
and in return have them credited to his
county as soldiers furnished by it to the
Z Union army for service against the Con-
federacy. The agent was an acquaint-
ance of Mr.. Lincoln, and obtained from
him an order to have the men credited
, as desired Secretary Stanton refused
TO allow the credits The agent returned
Is to the President, who reiterated the or.
der, but again without effect. Mr.. Lin
coin then went in person to Stanton'l
office. Gen. Fry was called in by Stan
ton to state the facts in the case-tha
these men already belonged to the Unit
is ed States, being prisoners of war; tina
Of they could not be used against the Con
!. federates; that they had no relation
whatever to the county to which it wa
= proposed they should be credited; tina
all that was necessary toward enlistinl
IN them in our army for Indian service wa
the Governments release of them a
prisoners Of way; that to give then
bounty and credit them to count,
which owed some of its own men 70
fE service against the Confederates woul
" waste money and deprive the army opel
ating against powerful enemy Of tbs
on number of men, &c. After he concluC
ed, Stanton remarked that Lincoln mul
.ir- see, in view Of such facts, that his ordt
8. could not be executed. What followe
is thus related by Gen. Fry:
II Lincoln sat upon a sofa with his lei
crossed, and did not say word until u
Secretary's last remark. Then he So
in somewhat positive tone: "Mr. Sc
ss' retary. / reckon you'll have to execu
the order" Stanton replied with q
perity: "Mr. President, cannot do
The order is an improper one, and CT
not execute it, Lincoln fixed his ey
= upon Stanton, and in firm voice al
with an accent that clearly show
lha. its determination, he said: "Mr. Sec
and tary, it will have to be DONE" Slant
then realized that he was overmatcht
ne He had made square issue with
( President, and had been defeated n
withstanding the fact that he was in I
right Upon an intimation from hin
,. withdrew, and did not witness his s
render. A few minutes after / reach
'G1 IN my Office, received instructions fir
use the Secretary to carry out the Presider
sent N. order
'eiPs Such is Gen. Fry's story. BY a
nc, nOt markable coincidence confirmation
its truth and an illustration Of its sin
4. lar sequel come hard upon its publ
ton. In an Atlanta contemporary
received we find copied from the lC
|. paper published at Jonesboro, Clay
county,, an "item" stating that Bro
Thomas Of that county had just recei
I a postal card from Washington annou
ing that his pension claim had been !
orably passed upon, and thatthe mo-
would be forwardedin few days.
Thomas, says the JonesboFo paper,
brave and good Confederate sold
and during Che war was captured
placed in prison. He saw to stay
prison would result in death, SO he I
the oath Of allegiance and Was sen
the Northwest plains 70 fight Indie
9 Soon be became sick and RENAME.
the hospital until the end Of the y