Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-18

Gen. Fisk Tells II again and Dos
Cribes How Ii saved "A Life.

Gen. Fisk Tells II again ana Dos
Cribes How 1t saved Life.
From he Pittsaog Cnmm~ct".
Last evening there was another i'm
mense audience at the reunion of the
United States Christian Commission
Gen. Fisk was announced as the speaker
of the evening. 1t was two hours OF alb
sorbinC interest 10 all who heard him talk.
His address was made up largely OF anec-
dotes Of his experience in the war. lie
then diverted to the work OF the ChIlstlau
Commission. detailed account OF the
memorable meeting in the United states
Senate chamber at Washington, twenty
one wears ago was something viva 10 lbe
older portion Of the audience, VINO re-
membered it. 1t was on the memorable
occasion that President Lincoln received
The telegram from General Grant stating
that the -COntederacy wished to treat Tor
peace on the basis OF union again with the
institution OF slavery preserved. Gen.
Fisk sad he had watched him az ne read
it.and he could only observe that LincOlRs
great heart thrObbed a constant "NoP' TO
such proposition. Then Mr.. FISK re-
called. one by one, the eminent statesmen
who were present at the meeting. Con-
tlDuiDg, he said
II was sitting by COlfaX. He said to
me not to una rtake "a speech. It's TOO
late. just 90 in ahd make short talk as
we used to have when you and | ran the
machine.' When | got on my feet made
some objections 10 speech that l heard.
/ had been ordered there from the field,
and so l felt like talking PLAIN TO them.
So | told them that they contractors at
" ashington) didn't know what it was to
stand the hardships of soldier lie on the
picket lines. Then / oranched out and
told this swearing story you have heard
50 much about"
Then. pausing, he related his story. In
brief, II was this: In the summer OF 1862
several new regiments were raised Tor
State defense. Among taese was the
Thirty-third Missouri, Il ST. Louis regi-
ment, recruited by Gen. Fisk. card
was prominently posted up: swear not
at all. Attention is called TO the third
commandment and tue third article OF
war" he repeated the we'll known story
of Gen. Fisk's covenant with his men,
that che would do all the swearing for
the regiment"
"a year or so later" continued Gen.
Fisk, Il was sitting in my tent door on
beautiful bluH overlooking pretty river
Just about sunset. Suddenly heard some
most classic swearing down on the blutf
somewhere. Curious TO know who could
have done this went and looked down
through the trees.
There | saw a teamster, from the
ThiPty-thir regiment, too, with stub
born team of mules and wheel OIL his
wRgOnlOad of forage. He was cursing The
COnfederacy at round rate, all tue way
from jefferson Davis down TO somewhere
else. / waited until he came up ana
passed my tent. Then / called TO him
and told him what ] heard. He said it
was all true, and admitted he had sworn
most outrageousiy. We'll, out John,'
said j, don't you remember the covenant
you all entered into on that last day at st.
Louis to let me do all the swearing for the
regimentp He frankly admitted that he
remembered the covenant. But said
ne, you were not there TO do the swear
ing, so / had to do it myself
The audience roared with laughter, and
it was several minutes before Gen. Fisk
could proceed. When ne resumed it was
to give the sequel Of the story, as follows:
1.-TWO days AFTER | told this story in the
Senate chamber l was about to leave the
capital TO rej0in my regiment, and l
called at The White House TO bid Presl-
dent Lincoln goodbye. | WAS intimately
acquainted with Lincoln. Leary, that
famous bodyguard Of MIR. Lincoln,
wouldn't let the multitude in, rrmarking
in mysterious way that the President
could not be seen that day. Well, IN that
crowd l found "a heartDTOken man VINO
was anxious to see Mr.. Lincoln TO secure,
II possible, the pardon of his son, who was
sentenced TO be banged on Friday. That
was Wednesday. His story deeply al
fected me, and | resolved TO get him into
the Presidents presence IL possible. So
went up to O'Leary and asked what was
the reason the Presidents door was closed
to people. He explained to me that a
special engine was IN waiting to carry the
President and party TO Annapolis to hold
conference with stewart, Hunter and
others of the COnfederacy, in view of a
prospect of closing the war. He was to
leave the White House in fifteen minutes,
and no one was TO Interrupt him. pre-
vailed on Mr.. ULeary to take in my card
with brief outline OF the mans story
written upon it.
I'm three minutes Lincoln sent out for
the man. | peeped and saw all that oc-
CURED. Lincoln told the man that he
only had fifteen minutes, and asked him
10 take the papers TO another department
and return the next day. THIS dIsap-
pointed the visitor, and ne broke down in
tears, begging the President TO act right
now, tomorrow would be too late. 1t
touched the Presidents heart, and then
humor was depicted on his honest face.
sit right down there, my man, he said,
'aDd III tell you General Fisk's swear
nRstory.' And for the time being he for
got The important conference with the
Confederacy's represt natives - forgot
everything but the man before i'm. The
story was told, and In ten minutes both
Lincoln and the Old man were conyulsed
with laughter. Then he arose, and seizing
his quill pen wrote across the papers pre-
scented by his visitor these words: please
pardon this man at once.' Hadn't 1t
been for the swearing story he would have
deferred the case until the next day, and
it would have been too late. Thus was a
life saved by the swearing story"