Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-11-04
RECOMMENDED ey JEFF DAVIS.
President Lincoin's Strange appointment
of n Young southcrner.

I'EeHtuemb LinCOtn'H StrNNge APPOINTMENT
of Young southcrner.
An interesting anecdote of President
Lincoln is told by Mr.. G. Eaton Creecy,
the well-known lawyer of this city
who was chief of the appointment di-
vision of the treasury department dur
ing the administration of President
johnson.
Mr.. Creecy, who was born in the city
of Vicksburg, Miss, held the position
of messenger to the secretary of the
treasury just prior to the close of the
Buchanan administration. Being of an
ambitious turn of mind he made appli-
cation to President Buchanan to be APP
pointed from Mississippi as cadet at
large to the military academy at West
Point.
His mother, who was an energetic
little southern woman, entered heart
lily into her sons ambition and obtained
the recommendation of Hon. Otho r.
Singleton, L. Q. c. Lamar and other
friends of her deceased husband in fa-
vor of her sons appointment. These
papers were filed, but one very strong
letter from Senator Jefferson Davis was
not because it was received just prior
to the secession of Mississippi, and Mrs.
Creecy did not press her sons applica-
ton
| In the fall of 1861 when the war was
| in full blast and n number of vacan-
cies existing in the military academy
from the state of Mississippi, Mrs.
Cr-ecy determined to introduce herself
| to president Lincoln and ask Hmm to
| appoint her son. She was received very
politely by the president, who listened
kfndly and atteuStively to her. When
she had concluded her statement he
said:
Madam, you have the appearance
and bearing ofn lady, but what evil
dence have l that you are not an impos-
ter? | have SO many of that class of
people calling upon me every day that
liam compelled TO be very carefnl; and,
while l do not wish to infer that
doubt you, yet i must have some evi-
tdence that yo1 are from Mississippi,
and that your family is of standing and
respectability, before l consider the
application yor. have made for your
sons appointment"
j The little lady was wholly ,discon,
I'rerted by this unexpected turn of af.
fairs. She litthe dreamed that anyone
would question her truthfulness' or he,
\ respectability. So she left the presi
dental presence very much disturbed
'remarking that; she did not see how she
would be able to go to Mississippi
through the army lines to get the evi
cdence that Mr.. Gincoln required.
A happy thought occurred to her dur
ing the evening, and she resUrrectet
the recommendation of United State.
Senator jefferson Davis, and triumph
antly carried it up to President Lincolr
next day. He resolved her with 4smile
and said:
"IlSnow from your countenance, mad
am, that you have brought the neces
sSry evidence"
'''Yes, Mr.. President" she said, '
have brought letter from an olC
friend of my husband, which tihinl
wRl satisfy you," and she handed hin
Jefferson Davis letter.
For a few seconds the presiden
seemed unable to state what his opinion
wasmpon the recommendation, but ll
finally said to her;
Madam, the evidence that you ham
submitted to me is entirely satisfactory
and Twill appoint your son, but on on
condi6ion, however, and that is that i
is not ITO be known to anyone but yOs
and I that l did so upon the recon
mendation of jefferson Davis"
The appointment was ordered, bu
circumstances occurred soon thereafte
which prevented Mr.. Creecy from ac
) cepting Washington Post.
|