Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-07-01
FRANkED FOR THEM.
4 SOLDIERS STORY OF PRESIDENT
LlNCC>M AND BoYS IN BLUE.

Lie.
"Let this 20. A. LINCOLN. -"
Unless it has been destroyed there is
in home in Fond du Lac county, Wis,
soldier letter III an envelope bearing
the above words, signed by the great war
president.
Frank King was Lamartine boy,
fresh from the farm, and character
our whole company took to kindly from
the first.
When the army was camped in Vir-
ginia, near Washington, the winter of
1862, it was "a common practice with
the soldiers, when they got pass, to
visit the city to buy package of en-
velopes and call at the capitol, send in
for their senator or representative and
get him to frank them.
One of our boys came back to camp
in high feather. He had two packages
of envelopes-one franked by Senator
James II. Doolittle, now Chicago law
yer, the other by the late Senator 7. o.
Howe, who succeeded Captain James as
postmaster general in President Arthur's
cabinet. For 20years senators and mem
bers have been giving good deal of
their time TO helping the soldiers with
their pension claims. If they have done
it as willingly and pleasantly as they
used to frank envelopes for the boys,
they must be pretty nearly angels.
"You fellows, there are making a
big blast over getting couple of soma
tors to frank your envelopes" said
Frank King. Gust you wait till you see
me come back from Washington will:
tho presidents name on some letter GOV.
ers "
Within few days Frank King and
Harry Dunn, who for years after the
war was a Chicago business man, went
to the city. They called at tie White
House. 1t was easier to see the president
then than it is row. AT certain hours
of the day soldier could reach the
chief executive with fully as much ease
as Il senator can in these later years.
King was the ringleader. Approach
ing the guard, he said: eve want to
see Mr.. Lincoln. Please stand aside and
let us pass. "
"Who arc you, and what is your bust
ness?"
"You tell old Abe we have charge Of
regiment ever on Arlington Heights
and want to see him Oh an important
matter. He'll let us in. :"
"Where are your shoulder straps%'
eve came over in our everyday
clothes. Come, we are in a hurry. Let
us 60 in and see Mr.. Lincoln.
The parley had attracted the attention
of the president. The door swung open
and the good natured chief of the nation
smiled upon the cheeky young fellows
and babe them step right i'll.
"What can do for you, my men?"
"Mr Lincoln, / want you to frank
these envelopes" said King.
Better get your congressman to do
that. ="
"I'd much rather have you do it, Mr..
Lincoln. The folks at homo would like
to see your name Gu my letters.
"I'll fix one of them Take tho rest
to your congressman. Who is he?"
II don't know.
"Where is your home?'
"Lamartine, Fond du Lao county,
Wis"
"That is my friend Scott Sloan's dis
trict. You go to Mr.. Sloan. He will fix
tho rest of them.
The president shook hands with tho
two privatcs, asked them to be brave
soldiers and wished them a safe return
to their western homes,
Frank couldn't make his terminates
believe that the president had written:
"Let this GO A. Lincoln. But the next
day he wrote letter to his father. The
name of Lincoln was personally exam
ined by all of the neighbors.
In january, 1864, our regiment was
in Washington on the way home, having
e-enlisted-''v eteranized, as they
called it. In company with two others
l went to the White House. The presi-
dent shook hands with us, thanked us
for swearing III for three years more and
expressed the hope that we would have
nice visit on our veteran furlough.
"Mr. President" said Jones-Ed
Jones--"you franked letter for one Of
the boys in our company, Frank King.
wish you would frank one for me. y
"Odd as it may seem, you are the
second soldier to make such request.
So both are of the same company? Very
we'll. ;"
On Jones' envelope he wrote "a.
Lincoln, President, and as he handed
it back he asked what had become Of
that other man who had asked him to
pass a letter
He was killed at Gettysburg. y
shall never forget thu look of sad.
ness in the presidents face when the
answer was given, and it had not disap.
peared when we left the room.
"Jones, what did you tell him about
King for? Did you see how it panied
him?''
"What did he ask about him for? Do
you suppose | was going to lie to man
l would die fOr:' was Jones indignant
reply. Times. Herald.