Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-30
LINCOLN AT CITY POINT.
An Interesting "Reminiscences from Ad-
miral Porter's Book.

oTteE DOCK.
The vessel he came up in-the River
Queen-went off to Norfolk day or two
after his arrival at City Point, and in
vited him to stay with me on board the
flagship Malvern, which was small yes
sci with poor accommodations, and not at
all fitted to receive high personages. She
was captured biockade-runner and had
been given to me as flagship. ! retained
her because she was small ana drew but
little water, and could run about in her
night and day, enter shoal harbors and
altogether she suited me.
had only one large state-room in the
cabin, one small after-cabin that would
hold a sofa and four chairs and a small
forward-cabin that would dine ten.
could not " sling cat around by the tail 8"
but then did not want 10 do that so the
arrangements were to my taste. 1t was in
this unpretentious place that invited the
President to accept my hospitality, and he
accepted it with as little formality as it
was given him. What pleased him was
that he got away from the outer world no
one could intrude upon his privacy, and he
slept with every guard about him-so far
as his personal safety was concerned-that
he could desire
What he liked best a all was that no one
could ask him for an Office.
| offered the President my bed. but he
positively declined it, and elected 10 sleep
in a small stateroom outside of the cabin,
occupied by my secretary. 1t was the
smallest kind of a room, six feet long by
four and half feet wide-a small room for
the President of the United States to be
domesticated in, but Mr.. Lincoln was
pleased with it. He told me at parting
that the few days he had spent on board
the Malvern were among the pleasantest in
his life
When the President retired for his first
night on board, he put his shoes and socks
outside the stateroom door. am sorry 10
say the Presidents socks had holes in
them but they were washed and darned,
his boots cleaned. and the whole placed at
his door.
When he came to breakfast be re-
marked
A miracle happened to me last night.
When | went to bed had two large holes
In my socks, and this morning there are
no holes in them. That never happened
to me before. 1t must be a miracle
How did you sleep?" inquired.
slept well" he answered; {" but you
can't put long blade in short scabbard
/ was too long for that berth
Then ! remembered that he was six feet
four inches, while the berth was only six
feet.
all the carpenters were put to work; the
-state-room was taken down and increased
IN size to eight feet by six feet and half
The mattresses were widened to suit a
berth of four feet width, and the entire
state-room remodeled.
Nothing was said to the President about
the change in his quarters when he went
TO bed, but next morning he came out
smiling, and said; a greater miracle
than ever happened last night shrank
six inches in length and about foot side
ways. | got somebody else's big pillow
and slept in a better bed than did on the
River Queen, though not half so Huely."
He enjoyed il hugely. but do think if
had given him two fence-rails to sleep on
he would not have found fault. That was
Abraham Lincoln in all things relating to
his own comfort. He would never permit
people to put themselves out for him under
any circumstances.
That day handed him a telegram from
Nj; Seward, reading, Shall l come down
and join you?"
No" he said, Il don't want him.
Telegraph to him that the berths are too
small, and there's no room for another
passenger"
But" said I, :" can provide for him if
you desire his presence
Tell him, then. don't want him. He'd
talk to me all day about Vattel and Puffen-
dorf. The war will be over in a week, and
/ don't want to hear any more of that" So
Mr.. Seward did not come. Mr. Lincoln
was determined that none of his Cabinet
should come down to City Point, where he
intended to propose the terms of surrender
himself. He had made up his mind that
this fraternal strife should cease in one way
or another. l don't know what his con-
versations with General Grant were, but
from the tenor of his conversations with
me, know that he was determined that
the Confederacy should have the most
liberal terms. Get them to blowing
once he said, and gathering in their
own little crops, eating popcorn at their
own tiresides, and you can't get them to
shoulder musket again for half centu-