The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-18
the Floor.

Lincoln and Douglas BedfelIOWS on
the Floor.
II was in LewistoWn that Mr. Lincoln
often met Peter Cartwright, the elder
Richard Hsaey, Henry Sommers, and
ether pioneer pillars of the Methodist
church in Illinois These meetings were
characteristic of pioneer methods and
NicissitudeS The writer's grandfather,
Isham G. Davidson, was, in those days,
deputy sheriff of Fulton county. His
humble, yet for those days, ample log
house, was the rendezvous fo~ Peter
Cartwright, Sommers, Haney and other
Methodist divines, as well as for Judge
Douglas and others of the early politi-
clans and lawyers who attended SeS-
EionS of court at Lewistown. Mr.. Lin
coin was an occasional guest at this
home. Upon one occaSion-that of the
assembling of the annual conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church at
Iewistown-accom in the vii
1age were simply inadequate, and as a
consequence the doubling up pro-
cess was reSOrted to in many instances.
An unusually heavy term of ircuit
court complicated matters of accom-
modation II is recorded that Mr.. Lin
coin, Judge Douglas and Peter Cart
wright slept side by side upon a feather
bed upon The puncheon floor at Mother
Davidson's humble home. 1t was in
IlcWtSIONU. III 1893, LIldI MI 1LluCOlIl
delivered one of the greatest speeches
of his one hundred days campaign
against Douglas for the United States
senatorShip, and to which further re-
ference viii be made in this article.
In the meantime Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.
SIMPSON had renewed their friendship
of boyhood days, and it was through
the good Offices of Mr.. Lincoln that
SIMPSON was enabled to secure tthe
position Of enrolling end engrossing
clerk of the Illinois house of represen-
natives during Mr.. Lincoln's member
ship in that body. Mr.. SIMPSON had
moved his family to Carthage from
Macomb.
Mr. lincoln delivered three speeches
in Hancock county during the sena-
,torial canvass of 1858. The first was
1T Augusta on August %. the second
at Carthage on October 20, and the
third at La Harpe on October "a
1t is presumably the fact that Mr.
Lincoln had intrusted much of the
management of the campaign in Han
cock county to his old friend Synlp-
SON In fact, Mr.. Simpson was the
aesder of the Republican party in the
county. The following is a copy of a
letter from AR. Lincoln to SIMPSON
regarding his intended visit to Au-
Eosta on the occasion of his address
at that place:
An Early Letter of LincoIn,s.
SPRINGFIELD Aug. IL. 1855
Alexander Simpson, ESQ.,: Dear Sir
Yours of the 9Th received. If life and
health continues I shall pretty likely
DE at Augusta. on the 25th Things
look reasonably we'll VIII tell YOU
more fully when L see you. Yours
truly, A LINCOLN"
Mr.. Lincoln addressed a very large
eddien e at Augusta composed of the
residents of Hancock, McDonough and
Schuyler counties, Augusta lying al
The edge OF these three counties. Judge
Douglas also spoke at Augusta thai
fall Both speeches were delivered in
Catiin's grove, in the town of Au.
gusta, as no building in the place
could hold the multitude that greeted
each speaker. Mr.. Lincoln and Judge
Douglas held no joint debates in Han.
cock county. At the time Lincoln
spoke in Augusta his friend Simpson
headed a great delegation of Carthage
patriots that attended the rally.
Lfncofnss Illinois Cousins.
Lincoln and Douglas spoke in Car
image within a short time of each
other Mr.. Lincoln addressed a great
crowd in the yard of the historic cour
@ouse-the same edifice. with some
improvements, that stands today. Or
1ha afternoon ps October 10. 1858. Mr.
SIMPSON brought Mr.. Lincoln . Car.
thage from Rushville, Schuyler county