Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-03-07
ABOUT THECAMPFIRE
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AT FORT
RESS MONROE.
An Old Soldiers Recollections of the
Greatest Character This Country Has
Ever Produced-Old Ironsides Falling
to Ruin-The Banner OF the Free.
Lincoln at Fortress Monroe.


honor to West Point and dis
tinguished officer during the late war.
He wears his eighty years with vigor,
grace and dignity and makes old age
an envy rather than regret.
Seated in his study in New York
city or in beautiful Burlington, VT,
Colonel Cannon tells such stories OF
the war as make younger generations
ashamed at not having lived in those
stirring times and helped to make
such wondrous history Colonel Can
non acted as aide de camp to General
Wool during his occupation of Fort
ress Monroe, and to his glory be it
said, was the first to suggest and
utilize negroes as fighters. Nobody
believed that they could handle gun
and face fire until Colonel Cannon
proved their now unquestioned brav-
cry.
"Ah, what a man was Lincoln" ex.
claimed the genial colonel with tears
in his eyes few days ago. 81 have
known just two men in my life to
whom l bow down: Daniel Webster
and Abraham Lincoln. Intellectually
Webster was giant; Lincoln was a
giant all over. He was an enigma,
and, at first did not understand his
stories and jokes. could not make
them harmonic with the gravity of
the situation and the awful response
bilities of the commander in chief;
but when 1 saw his great human
heart loved him as I have loved no
man. TO me he is the greatest man
this country has ever produced. The
jokes were foil"
Colonel Cannon, Lincoln's face, as
painted by William M. Hunt, who
must have appreciated the soul within
that gaunt, angular body-is the sad
dest / ever gazed upon"
81 think you are right. What times
those were at Fortress Monroe. / re-
member in May, 1862, Lincoln and
Stanton came from Washington, and
were quartered in the fort. / gave
up my room to the president, and
slept outside on cot He was very
fond of reading and one day said, ~
suppose you've no such thing as a
Shakespeare. 1t would be as difficult
to find here as bible.
"'On the contrary, Mr.. President,
I replied, you can have both Gen
eral Wool was a great lover of Shak-
speare. At night after work was over,
Wool would bringSEut his Shakespeare
and spout like a Etage- struck school
boy. Sol quickly placed before Lin
coin the coveted treasure, whereupon
he said, You've been working hard
all day. Sit down and rest. OF
course I obeyed orders. was sur
prised at the intelligence with which
Lincolnread aloud some of his favor
tie passages. First, he turned to
MACBETH" then to "King Lear"
lastly to Queen Constance's appeal to
King John on the death of her son.
Visibly moved by this appeal, Lincoln
exclaimed, Cannon! Did you ever
feel that you were near dear friend
WHO had passed away and yet realized
/that this feeling was nothing but a
dream?' Was this not remarkable
question?
eyes, Mr.. President, / have, was
my answer. IT hat is my feeling
toward my boy WILLIE murmured the
big-hearted man, who laid his tired
head on his arm upon the table in
front of him and sobbcd like a child.
When the spasm of weeping ceased,
Lincoln rose, say ing, Let us GO and
sit on the ramparts.' / followed him,
and not another word did he utter
about the little boy so recently taken
from him, nor did he ever again refer
to this child. But having shown me
his heart once, Lincoln seemed to
trust me, and often afterward asked
me to sit with him on the ramparts,
when he did the talking"
"What an experience, colonel, and
what privilege! Were you present
at the capture of Norfolk?"
mot exactly, but what memories
made up his mind that he would take
Norfolk We had had nothing but
defeat so far and Wool thought it
was time for victory on our side. But
Norfolk is well defended on all sides, )
/ argued. The enemy is 5000 strong,
while we can only muster an attack
ing force of 10000.
"That makes no difference replied
Wool.
"'Why not?'
because / know the man in COM
mand. He's been under me and he's
sure to run. Moreover, he knows
that never wet my feet
"'Suppose you get beatep?'
"'It's not a supposable case
''Firm in his opinion, General Wool
told Lincoln to remain in Fortress
Monroe and he would make him a
present of Norfolk. / was excessively
disturbed by Woops determination, as
he made no preparation for defeat.
Defeat meant destruction. What's
the matter with you? ASKED Lincoln
and Stanton when we three were
alone. You look ILL
II vowed / wasn't. Then some
things wrong. What is it?' Finally
they wormed out of me my fears, /
admitting that the expression of
them was an act of INSTRUMENTATION.
Us\Vhat's IN he doneo