The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-09-26
Dennis Hanks Story.

Dennis Hanks. cousin and early compan-
ion of Abraham Lincoln, still lives, at the age
of 81, near Charleston, Ills, and at intervals
talks with much animation of Lincoln's early
life. Though ten years older, he has long
outlived the martyr president. He gives this
account of his only visit to Washington:
when went down to Washington TO see
him it was about neighbor that had got into
tloubie. The folks here sent me to speak to
Abe about him. TWAS durin' the war, and
thar was lot o soldiers around the White
| House stickln' their guns in everybody face
l went t. door-thar's only one, though l
looked round fura back door, thinkn' to
sneak in. A porter stopped me, and asked
as smart: who do you want to see 2
~ want to see Abe Lincoln says.
"'You can't see him this time o day. he
eavs as smart.
"'You bet l kim l answered him. Hes
not goin' back on Dennis Hanks, his cousin,
and the boy he's rassed with, if he is the
president. hain't come here from Illinois
TO be told can't see Abe Lincoln"
''He grinned and showed me the office
There was lot of fellers waitin', but l wad-
ed through EN- and opened the door, and
thar sot Aber, as tails his own shadow,
wrilin at an old desk he TUX from Hi
nois.
"HeyrI followed You're purity presi-
dent, amt you? Git up hyur and shake
hands. Iain't after no Office yit, Abe"
"'Well, Dennis, is that you Pm glad you
don't want an Office. Most of them do. You've
got a big heart, but no head for an Office
Then he run and gist gathered me in 10 him
like they did in the Bible, and so | wept q
little so | had to take my bandanner out. He
looked kinder tired. When l told him what
l wanted he said:
PPM busy to-day, but I'll get Stanton to
fix that up. You go down and Mary will
give you something to eat and a sbakedown.'
81 k1owed it was too fine for me where Mary
WIS. She was good woman, but was too
highfalutin' for me SO l jist went to a tavern
and put up. Next mornin Abe had lot of
papers for my case and told me to take 'em
to Stanton.
Abe says /, blamed if know where
tie plagueoned place is So he called Teller
and sent the papers, and pretty soon Mr..
Stanton come lookin' like a jaybird in
spike tailed coat, and snarled about them
papers, but Abe got him to sine 'em. He act
ed so ugly that when he went out l said:
"'Abe, if rs as big man as you would
take that little Teller over my knee and spank
him." Abe, he laughed and said he guessed
Stanton was bigger man than he was in
some respects. | came home then and The
next spring Abe was shot.
81 heard of it this way. | was setting in
my shop peggin' away at shoe when man
came in and said Dennis, Honest Abe is
dead"
"'Dead, dead. Old Abe dead, KEEP sayin
to myself My God, it amt so! went out
to see Sairy where she lived all alone after
Tom died, and said, Grandmother, Abe's
dead yes, know, says she. I've ben a
waitin' fur it. knowed they'd kill him.
and she never asked any questions. A body'd
thought the earth stopped whirlin' fur few
days. the way everybody went on. 1t was
like, even Rere in Charleston, like black
cloud that covered the sum-" The dim old
eyes became blurred by the sad memory.