The National tribune., 1890-12-11
THE GREAT LINCOLN.
Ills Kindness TO a Wounded Rebel Soldier.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: few days
ago tall man Of slender form, with deep gray
eyes and hair slightly sprinkled with white,
and about "a years Of age stood on the Wash
ington Monument with a powerful heldgiass
in his hand, looking intently over the Virginia
aud Maryland hills
at has been % years." he said, "siuce /
have viewed those historic fields and mount
aims on both sides of the Potomac. IL recalls
sad experiences and recOllcctiOns Of tho past 10
my memory"
"Why does Il cause You sadness? " said one
Of bis companions, who was several years his
junior.
"ln the Summer Of 1862 / was with Gen.
Lees army on its march into Maryland We
had rough time before we crossed the Poto.
mac and much worse after we got on this side.
AZ the battle of SharpSburE my regiment tho
10th Ala, suffered heavily i'm killed anu
wounded. Among the wounded of Co. X was
myself j was supposed 10 be MORALLY wound
ed and left On the field, and consequently fell
into the hands OF the Union forces As / lay
suffering from pain, and being very weak from
loss Of blood, and wishing that death would
come TO my relief, a gentleman dressed in citi-
zen's clothes came up 10 me- stopped over my
almost lieless body, aud la a gentle voice said /:
Ny lad, you are very young 10 be IN the
army. How old are your
81 am lG, and / am dying. Will you be
kind enough 10 send this Bible 10 my mother?'
" / drew the book from my pocket and gave
IL 10 him. lie said:
Your mother shall have this Bible, and
you shall take il TO her.
ION the hy-lcaf was written my mothers
name and address, with the following lines
underneath: 'Will some generous foe please
return this book TO my mother, aud give this
body Christian burial p
He asked my name and command. / said
"a him, hTxvrr Is L Ia Al
the stranger turned 10 leave. / called him back
aud asked him TO please give me his name, as
did not wish 20 die and never know who TO
thank for such kindness.
a. You will not die, my lad take courage
you viii be cared for were his words. My
name he said is Abraham Lincoln
when he announced his name IL stunned
me. / thought, was it possible that President
Lincoln would notice a wounded rebel2 will
never forget the impression il made on my
mind. had been taught TO believe by Yancy
and Curry, Of Alabama, that Mr. Lincoln and
all the people North were demons, and would
not show US mercy under any circumstances
My mind underwent a sudden change.
=" i think" said Private Darby, that Mr.
Lincoln was the greatest aud best man that
ever lived. III he could have been spared 10
have closed up his Administration there never
would have been the bad feeling that has eX-
I listed between the two sections since the war.
:" ! was taken 10 the hospital al Frederick,
| Nd, where j received every attention that
medical skill and careful nursing could bestow
10 relieve my snfgerings After many months
became convalescent. One morning ! was
called 10 headquarters and notified that would
be sent the next day 10 Fort Monroe. You can
| imagine my delight; my heart leaped into my
! throat. The night passed YEARLY away, but
! was cheered with the hope OF seeing the dear
ones at home. / was anxious 10 see what the
next day would bring forth. As WAS about
/ ready TO leave for Baltimore the officer handed
me small package. After had started on
the journey unwrapped the covering Of paper
and found it was my Bible. In turning over
! the pages, i found a card in the book with the
! following written on it:
80 Take this book Of God 10 your mother
A. Lincoln.
"The card was In the 10Th Chapter Of &c
cesiastcs' aud the LIST, 18th and l4th verses Of
that chapter were marked in pencil with the
/ letter L. The first verse reads thus: Re
member now thy Creator in the days Of thy
youth, while the evil days come not, nor the
years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, have
no pleasure in them 18th Let us hear the
conclusion Of the whole matter: Fear God aud
1 keep his commandments; for this is the whole
duty Of man. l4th. For God shall bring
every work into Judgment with every secret
thing, whether IL be good, or whether ii be evil
and Fort Monroe committing TO memory the
18th Chapter Of Ecclesiastes which have
never forgotten. When reached home told
the story Of my captivity, and how kindly ]
had been treated by the enemy. They were
not disposed 20 give my statement the proper
credit j produced the Bible which mother
had placed ia my pocket when ! started TO the
army, nearly two years previous. ! turned il
over TO her, President Lincoln told me I
should do, just rs j received il from the officer
/ at the hospital. She was not long in finding
the card and the marked verses.
All she said, my son, let these verses
ever be your guide, both in war aud in peace.
TINS precious book saved your life have tried
/ 20 live up 10 the teachings Of that Bible. aud
the verses designated by the hand OF the great
Lincoln. ] taught il TO my only son as
maxim 10 pilot him through lie. aud made the
same request Of HIM that my mother did OF me.
remained Al home several months before
i was able 10 perform military duty Of the
lightest kind, but when the Confcderacy be-
came so pressed for recruits, the manned, the
halt, the old and the young had to 90 ! re.
turned to the front and remained until the close
Of the war. There never should have been
any war between the States 1t was the teach
ings Of Impulsye political leaders who did the
thinking for the masses. That kind Of business
will never be worked on the masses of the South
ern people again, They think for themselves
auu I'm a great measure Tor the so-cailed leaders.
] shall never forget the first secession speech !
ever heard" continued the ex-Confederate
1T was IN December, 1850. Hon. Job l.. NJ.
| Curry, who was then Member of Congress
from Alabama, came nome from Washington u
Ere up the Southern heart in the interest Of Sc.
ccssiOn. There Was a Joint debate between Mr.
Curry and Mr.. l.. T. Parsons on the subject OF
the dissolution Of the Union. The last named
gentleman was an unfinching Union man. and
wAE not afraid To speak his sentiments. lie
opened the discussion and IN eloquent tones
warned the people Of the danger Of such move
lie said that Jefferson, Jackson. Clay and Web
Etcr, and the greatest minds on this continent
had declared That the Union could not and
should not be dissolved. When Curry replied
he raised his voice 10 tho highest key, and Will
outstretcbed arms exclaimed, " Fellow citizens
Mr.. Parsons alarms me. Why shall we not dis
solve this Uni0n2 We have a right, and by thC
eternal God Of nature we will take the right
We know the result Of his teachings. We had
four years Of bloody war, and Mr.. Curry never
went TO the front, bu; 10 Richmond as a Mem
Der OF the Confederate Congress, and there hC
remained until the war was over. About the
time the COniedcracy had the death rattles ht
joined the church and became a Minister OF tho
Gospel, which placed him in the ranks Of non.
combatants Shortly after the war he re
turned 10 Alabama as the Rev. DIR. Curry in
stead OF the Honorable Member Of Congress, "a
formerly. Whilst on this visit he was asked
by an old friend IL hc was not going 10 make hi
home among those who had often honorcd hin
with their suffrage With sad expression on
his face he said slowly and feelingly, j cannot
be content 10 live here among the people who