The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-13
LINCOLN in WAR TIMES.
Sketch of Him by Noah Brooks, Who
Was n War Correspondent.

January Century.
The White House did not witness many
brilliant festivities during the war. AFTER
President and Mrs. Lincoln early In the
first year of the Lincoln administration.
and the Presidents public levees were held
regularly during the winter. Nothing could
be more democratic than these gather Ths
were usually held twice a. week
during the winter, those on Tuesday
eeetions' a aeahs the s0-'a Saturday sIesS levees
being less formal in character. A majority
of the visitors went in full dress; the ladies'
in laces, feathers, silks and satins. with
out bonnets, and the gentlemen in evening
dress. But sprinkled through the gaily-
attired crowds were hundreds h or on nrmy
overcoat of the period being a conspicuous
feature of the moving panorama. here
he had Just left his workbench, or a hard
working clerk with ink-stained linen
added to the popular character or the as
Sembly.
Usually the President stood in the famous
blue room, or at the head of the east room;
and those who wished to shake hands made
duced by the functionary detailed Tor tnat
occasion. So vast We're the CROWDS, ana 80
affectionate their greetings, that Mr. LIN
coins right hand was often swollen so that
he would be unable to use 1t reauliy Ior
hours and the white Kaa g,os of
handshaking was over, always looked as II
it had been dragged through a DUST pm.
never heard with his inner ear the names
of persons presented to him by secretary
Nicolay, COMMISSIONS French Ere en-, or rts un mere
apt to be afar from the crowd or strangers
that passed before him.
At a luncheon given by General Slckles at
his headquarters, among the ladies present
was the Princess Salm-Salm, whose husband
was a staff officer in the army- rms lazy
attracted much admiration by her grace
full and dashing riding in the cavalcade
that attended the reviews. Before her mar
riage she vas a Miss Leclerc. OF Pnliaaeio
astonished the President, on his entering
General Sickles's headquarters, by flying
at him and imprinting a bouncing KISS on
his surprised but not altogether attractive
face. AS soon as he could pull himself
together and recover from his astonishment.
the President thanked the lady, but with
evident discontinue; whereupon some OF
the party made haste to explain that the
Princess Salm-Salm had laid a wager with
one of the officers that she would kiss the
President. Her audacious sally won her a
box of gloves.
During qP T the hso war mo the Pre- nropG fTanpin 81 ci OF ahs
army and navy was SO small that men felt
it almost a distinction to wear the ordinary
evening dress. An order from the War
Department ~forbidding military officers to
come to Washington without leave did not
by any means ab bate what Y t was Uascd aelt b TO , De 3 3
the Hobbies of the Capitol in search oil
political aid to secure them the promotions
mat they u6SlTeu, OF tile pdSSdSc VI OuiS III
which military or naval officers had special
interest. / saw a curious example of mill
tary absenteeism one nigh. at Ford's The,
dent to see Edwin Booth in THE Merchant
of Venice
The President had sent word late in tn,
afternoon that he would like to have a DO,
for himself and a friend; but when he ar
rived at the theater' going in by the stag.
who said that the boxes had all been takei
before the Presidents message had beer
| received, but he would use his efforts witt
a party of officers, as soon as they arrived
to induce them to give up the box which
they had engaged. While he was speakin;
! an usher came behind the scenes and sait
that the officers had very willingly relin
pushed their box for the pleasure of tn
President. Between the acts the manage
/ and to inquire for his comfort, and Lin
coin asked the names of the military. gentle
men who had SO kindly, given up their even
ing's entertainment in his behalf. Tn man
| ager replied that he did not know, bu
afterward quietly told me that he knew tina
one half of the number were officers absen
considered it a good joke that they cout
escape the Presidents observation at tn
| cost of ~relinquishing their box at the thea
ter. The manager shrewdly guessed tina
the President had asked for their names il
order to discover If they were i'm Washing
ton on leave; but that was not Lincoln
way.
President Lincoln's theater-going was usu
ally confined to occasions when Shakespear'
plays were enacted; for, although he enjoye
a hearty laugh, he was better pleased wit
exalted poetry of Shakespeare than wit
anything that was to be found in the mod
ern dramatic writings. But | remember
the old Washington Theater, where we say
Mrs. John Wood in John Brougham
trayesty OF "~Pocahontas." The deiiciou
absurdity and cracking puns of the. piec
gave the President food for mirth fo
many days thereafter. At another time W
saw Edwin Forest in king Lear" an
the President appeared to be more i'm
pressed by the acting of John McCulloug
in the role of Edgar than with the grea
tragedian's appearance as the mad kint
He asked that Mccullough might come I
the box between the acts and when tn
young actor was brought to the door, ella
in his fantastic garb of rags and straw
Mr.. Lincoln warmly, and yet with diff
dence, praised the performance of the seen
in which he had just appeared.