The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-25
A CHAT ABOUT LINCOLN.


A CHAT ABOUT LINCOLN.
His Old Body Guard Describes His
Home Life and His Death-Some
Recollections of Twenty-three
Years of Life in tho
White House.
He spoke of the martyred Lincoln,
and bending over said fervently: ::He
had all those simple ways, my friend,
that make great men," He was Thorn
as F. Pendel. Lincoln's body-guard, and
now serving his twenty third year in
the white house.
so you want to hear about Lincoln,
he said to his interviewer, as he rubbed
his eyes to aid memory of two de-
cades ago. Il might as well lead up
to that great mans end by saying that
on Nov. 8, 1864, Sergt. Cronan, An
drew Smith. Alfonso Dunn, and my
self were assigned to duty at the white
house. l am the only survivor. We
were taken to MIR. Lincoln's room,
given instructions, and went on duty.
The real inwardness of the matter was
that the president had received many
threatening letters, and at the time
precaution was necessary. Everybody
had to be watched, even women. 1
tell you, Sir" with his ey : lighting up,
''those fiery southern women were dam
gerous. l had been at the white house
but a short time when the president
chose me as his guard. walked with
him everywhere. AS a coincidence,
one day, when we were on the street,
said: Mr.. President, Senator Holland
is a good man "A very good man.
he replied. The senator afterward be-
came member of the presidents cabi-
net and also father-in-law of the prcsi-
dents son, Robert Lincoln. One day
he said to me, as we were coming out
OF Secretary Stanton's house: We'll,
Pendleton, he and Mrs. Lincoln al
ways called me that,-I have received
good many threatening letters, but
Pm not afraid But, Mr.. President
sad l, many brave man has lost his
life because he did not fear That's
so,' he replied, that's so.
"Again, to show you how frank he
was, asked him how tall he was. He
laughed and said: 4 am just six foot
three in my stocking-feet.' The devo-
ton between Mr.. Lincoln and his little
son lad, who always called him Papa
day. was something for study.
Whenever the president returned to the
white house, no matter how brief had
been his absence, he would pick that
boy up in his arms, hug him, and carry
him upstairs to his room with him. 1
never shall forget how Tad interested
himself in my behalf
THE president was at his desk when
Tad opened the door and said: Good
morning, Papa-day, will you do me a
favor?' My son, you know l will, he
answered. Well, then, sir, just sign
that The president read the docu-
ment, looked at the boy proudly, half
amused, and, picking up his pen, in
scribed his name. This is the docu-
ment,' said the old man, huskily, as he
held out bit of faded paper that shook
because his hand trembled:
'ExEcUT1vE MANSION, Dec 81, 1s64-These
presents witness that Thomas F. Pendel is
duly appointed an usher i'll the place of Ed
ward McManus, now dismissed.
'The boy was only Is years DID,"
continued Mr.. PendeI. "He was very
fond of me. He would meet me on the
stairway and say: Tom Pen, you 90
upstairs and ask mamma may 1 90 to
the theater and tell her you'll take care
of me- l would 60 and say, Mrs.
Lincoln, Tad wants to go to the
theater; may hep No, l don't think
he had better, she would say. I'll go
with him and take good care of him.
Will you be sure to do it, Pendleton?
Well, then, I guess he may CO.
cit was my duty to stand in front of
the presidents desk when he was re-
ceiving business visitors. Of all the
requests he would listen to any,
body. One day two southern women
came and said: MIR. President, won't
you give us pass to Richmond?' No,
[ won't, was the plain answer. They
sat down sullenly, and after awhile the
president called them up, and said:
Yes, l will give you a pass to Rich
mond, writing one on his knee at the
time. 1 would rather have you there,
because if you stay here you'll just in
form the confederacy of what we are