The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28
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not sit right down here and write dis
patch to Lincoln to the effect that unless
Meade fights to finish here and now,
while the Potomac is high, the war will be
prolonged for years? There are not above
80, 900 men on the rebel side, and they are
short of ammunition. We have $4,000.
The rebels are discouraged; our men feel
the inspiration of certain victory. Now
tell the President this and urge him, beg
him to order Meade peremptorily to pitch
right in and fight it out.
Mr.. Medill says that Vice-President
Hamlin at once replied: 81 agree with
you and I'll do it right off, but don't
know whether Lincoln will pay any atten-
the dispatch that evening from the Fred
ericks Hospital. That very night he re-
ceiyed this reply from the President:
81 have received your interesting dis
patch and am considering it.
Mr. Medill's account of what followed
cannot fail to be interesting, in view of the
perennial debate over the batele of Gettys-
burg, its leaders and their tactics.
II heard no more of it at the time" Mr..
Medill says, "and knew nothing of Lin
coins decision except what all the world
knows, until few years ago when met
the Hon. Robert Lincoln in London, while
he was Minister to the Court of st. James.
In the course of Gettysburg conversation
L told him the story just as l have
told 1t to you, and was very much
interested to hear his reply: why,
said Mr.. Lincoln, L remember the circum-
stance very well. | recall that a few days
after Gettysburg father got letter from
Hamlln urging him to order Meade to re-
new the fight and push the battle to final
finish. Father sent Just such an order tC
Meade by the Government wire, and the
receipt OF it was acknowledged. When we
left the White House l made diligent
search for that letter, but failed to find it
But remember the contents, because
father read it to me before he sentit. Itwas
just what Hamlin urged him to write, and
it wound up something like this: eff you
make the attack vigorously and fail | will
assume all the responsibility of the defeat
Ii you win you shall have all the glory Of
having initiated the attack and l will
never claim it. F." -
Mr.. Medill's last interview with Lincoln
took place in the midst of Grants fina
campaign against Lee. The editor had
been for fortnight down at Grants head
quarters ION pass from the Presidency
and returning TO Washington was sum
moned from his hotel by one of Lincoln's
/ secretaries to the White House. The
President wanted a circumstantial account
OF Medill's observations at the front. The
latter told him what he saw and concluded
and in turn pressed the President for news
/ of General Sherman down in North Caro-
! lima. Mr.. Lincoln replied: 81 can't ter
you exactly where Sherman is, but know
! where he ought to be and what he ought
| to be doing. When he gets to"
! But just then E. B. Washburne came
| into the room and Mr.. Medill started tx
leave. The President stopped him. "Wai
minute, Medill," said ne, and the two
! visitors remained standing while the story
was resumed as to the chance of Lee fall
! ing back on Johnston and catching Sher
man and crushing him between them.
1.-THE last time l heard from Sherman,
( said Mr.. Lincoln, holding up one of his
huge hands to wall map, and pointing to
it with the forefnger of the other, 1.-THE last
time l heard from Sherman he had one
army corps here and another one here and
a third one here, and was expecting to
bring them all together here and then
march to join Grant here. Now when he
does that he'll-but that reminds me of the
horse-jockey in Kentucky who got baptized
in the river. He asked to be immersed the
second time. The preacher demurred, but
the horse-iockey, insisting, prevailed.
When he came up from the second duck
ing he gasped: There! Now the devil
may go to hellp"
AS l went out of the room" says Mr..
Medill, "Washburne was hanging over a
chair red with laughter. 1 never saw the
President again. NEWTON MACMILLAN.
Copyright, 1895, by S. s. Mcclure, limited