New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-23
ERRORS ABOUT LINCOLN'S EARLY LIFE.

ERRORS ABOUT LINCOLN'S EARLY LIFE.
ACCORDING TO HIS OWN TESTIMONY HE WAS
ROTH FI.ATBoATMAN AND RAII-sPLIrTER.
To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The correction OF the erroneous statements
published about President Lincoln Is WORK whcn
annarently will have no end until ther "rlte''
'.," ,oLa tho time to read wnat Mr. Lincoln has
written about himself In a letter signed by Gen
eral f. L. Vlele. in your paper OF 'iiS ','",'
80 =, ,bese erroneous statements appear, 10 witch
7 wish TO oppose Mr.. Llncolns own e'iuenoe,
le,,er is entitled "Mr. Lincoln MOI d
man" The writer states what is rather eA'e'''
known that a natboatman Is man WIN """0'
a business OF navigating one OF these pod'' ~"
tho riv,r returning to their homes by Steamboat
' To cav or suppose that Abraham
I,,ooir yas ever one OF these men is simply an
surd." .Ao s,oto
The writer then explains the Origin Vi ''e -
mont as follows: when Mr.. Lincoln was "DOu'
eighteen. he had been all winter helping mar,
dstu whiskey When spring came the man h'r
a large quantity of whskey on mana anu ""''
M money Mr. Lincoln learned that there was
man nm the rivei who was building hatDoat 10
take to New-Oreans in the spring. with "noi' u"
arranged to take his 0.incolns) merchahu'Se ~
New Orleans he to go along ana give HIS se'''O''
for his passage. - ~ ,
"And so he started for New-Or!eans' MOI do "
aathoatman bur as a passenger" Wherefore Cen
era Viele says that the precise facts as lela'en
by Mr. Lincoln in my presence were these nav
given the substance of them above lie a'so '
that Mr. Lincoln was never IN any sense Oh 'ne
word natboatman ..
To this statement | oppose the written statement
of Mr. Lincoln. in "a short Autobiography written
=, tho request OF a friend" in June, 1850 IL VIII
be found in the first volume OF Nlcolay anu nay
writings of Mr.. Lincoln, at pages e'o anu of'' III
which Mr. Lincoln writes of himself as ioiio"7'
.Vhen he was nineteen. rtill residing In Indiana,
loans He was hired hand merely. and he ana
son 81 the owner without other assistance, MADE
the trip The nature Of part or the cargo iodu DE-
II was called. made 1t necessary Tor them 10 lhSer
and trade along the sugar coast; ana one night
they were attacked by several negroes, with intent
N kill and rob them. They were hurt some IN the
nalee but succeeded In driving the negroes from
the boat and then cut cable, weighed anchor ana
left"
In the winter of the famous deep snow IN
Illinois Abraham, together with his stepmother
SON John y johnson. and John Hanks, yet resId-
ing in Macon County hired themselves to Denton
orutt 10 take a fatboat from Beardstown. H.. 10
New-Oreans and for that purpose were to JOIN
him (Onu;O at Springfield. HI lhey
found ONutt at Springfield but failed in getting
boat at Beardstown. This led to their hiring them
selves to him for S2 per month each, and getting
tho timber out OF the trees ard building a boat AZ
Old Sangamon town. on the Sangamon River seven
miles northwest Of Springfield which boat they
took to New-Orleans substantially upon the old con-
Mr. Lincoln as a truthful witness has never been
iupeached | think will have 20 credit MS state
mcnt that he was for wv trips regular natDodt-
man thar MIR Bancroft and Dr. Depew nave gwen
thu public correct history. and that the statement
OF Genera, Wee needs revision .
one more correction Of General Wee as MS
torian Is all for which have the time TINS morning;
He says that 1.-THE ra.lsplitting that he tMr Lncoln)
did was more TO show off his strength than any,
family settled A new place the north side or the
Sangamon River. AT the junction OF the timber
Land and prairie about ten niles westerly from
Decatur Here theH built log cabin. into whch
they removed ana made sufficient OF rails 10 fence
fen acres OF ground. fenced and broke the Srouhi
and raised a crop Of sOwn corn upon II the same
wear These are. are supposed 10 De, the rams
about which much Is being said Just now ,housh
these are far from being the first or only rails ever
made by Abraham , . ..... ~
MIR Lincoln WAS not accustomed 10 snow on
and the rails 20 fence ten acres would serve i9r
more showing OFF, than he ever practised IN MS
life. ,,. , ,u,,,,,
/ make these corrections in no spirit or unkni
or tlcsm | regard IL very important thdt tne
present and future generations should Know Mt.
Lincoln as he was lie has not been fortunate III
his bographers. who have written many Things
about him which utterly Incredible Many OF
these have been repub.ished during the last year.
/ hopt that some competent writer VIII take
irnol'i's lie a. his basis. and. drawing his adli-
give 10 the word what is much wani"d-a snort.
accurate and truthful account OF the life or this our
greatest American. L. T.. CHI l ENDf-N'
" Egh