The times., 1894-02-09
STORY OF A GUARD.
LINCOLN DID NOT RELISH THE IDEA
OF PERSONAL PROTECTION.


OF PERSONAL PROTECTION.
How He Got Rid of Soldiers Sent to Sc.
That No Harm BefelI Him--His Watch
fal Care Of the Interests of the Privat.
Soldier.
It has been said that no man is a hero
to his valet, and it is likely that few mer
who are protected by others from per.
senal dangers appear to their guards tc
exist on 80 high plane as to the rest OF
the world. This does not seem to have
been true regarding Abraham Lincoln.
He appears to have been held in greater
veneration. if possible. by the troops who
were engaged in his protection than by
any other members of the Federal army.
1t was popularity of Lincoln that, al
though those who were near him daily
could not help but see that he possessed
certain defects, their devotion to him
was intensified by their constant contact
with him.
It may be that his persistent and often
expressed aversion to the presence of
guards had something to do with the ad-
miration felt for him by the soldiers
who served in this capacity. 1t lis of rec
ord that he repeatedly sent men detailed
to protect him back to their quarters.
Imet man the other day who was a
member of the Eleventh New York vol
unteers, which regiment acted for some
time in 1852 as Lincoln's bodyguard. In
speaking of Mr.. Lincoln he said:
! do not believe that the president
was ever more annoyed by anything
than by the espionage that was necessa-
rily maintained, almost constantly, over
his movements. Nearly every day we
were made aware of his feeling upon
this matter.
During the summer he lived at the
Soldiers home ON Seventh street. The
house stood on a rise of ground and was
a remarkably cool and pleasant one in
warm weather by reason of its broad
verandas. Directly in front of the house
stood large oak tree, and from it the
ground sloped gradually to the north.
At the foot of the slope was our camp.
It was the duty of the company serving
as the presidents guard to escort him
from his summer home, which he left at
o'clock in the morning, down Seventh
street and to the White House. The cap
tain rode by his side, the troops follow
ing. When the White House was reached,
Mr.. Lincoln invariably directed the cap
tain to take his company to the K street
stables and report at the White House
for return escort at A. Mr.. Lincoln was
never to my remembrance escorted home.
He almost always left at 3, sometimes,
though very rarely, delaying his depar-
ture till $3.50, but never till A.
On one occasion Mr.. Lincoln's mill
tary secretary came to our quarters and
asked that man be put on guard that
night in front of the house and another
at the rear. 1t was not thought safe, the
secretary explained, that the president
should be unprotected at night. Well,
the men were detailed as requested, but
do you suppose they remained at their
posts all night? Not at all. At midnight
the president opened the front door and
asked Of the man stationed there:
"What are you two men doing here?"
"On guard, sir" was the reply.
"Who put you here" was the next
question.
"The captain of our company" was
the answer.
"Well," said the president, 'I believe
am commander in chief of the army.
You go back to your quarters, both Of
you, give my compliments to your cap
tain and say that l think your presence
here is quite unnecessary"
There was nothing left for the men
10 do but to obey the presidents orders.
The next day the guards were again
asked for, and it was suggested that the
men would do well to keep out of sight
The secretary thought that all would be
well if the man stationed in front of the
house should stand behind the oak tree
Of which 1 have spoken. The man de-
tailed to be front guard that night was
sure that he did not expose himself, but
about midnight, as before, Mr.. Lincoln
became aware of the obnoxious presence
Of guards and again sent them to their
quarters.
As remember him, Mr.. Lincoln was
not graceful horseman. In fact, he
was more ungainly when in the saddle,
perhaps, than at any other time. His
Eggs were of exceptional length, and bis
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