The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
FOR II THEY ARE.
STORIES OF LINCOLN MI 4 NAN
WHO SAID HE KNEW HIN WELL
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who died in this city on Feb. ls. was the Last
person to die OF those intimately associated with
Abraham Lincoln in the emancipator's early
experience in Sangamon and MenArd counties.
The frosts Of eighty-hW winters had whitcned
the old mans locks at the time OF his death, but
they had not chilled his enthusiasm or weak
ened the interest In the man he learned to love
and admire in his youth, and whose memory he
cherished until death. The old man made his
home for seventy years in what Is now Sansa-
mon and De Witt counties, and was a resident
OF Clinton for forty-ave years Tho county his
tory of Sangamon gives his and the history Of
his fathers emigration TO this country from
England whom Illinois was q vast expanse OF
wilderness and swamp. The old gentleman was
sturdy and stout in his weil-knit frame, but his
life was ended by n cancer.
Mrs. Christina Clark. his widow, survives him
She married him sixty years ago. She IL seven
years his junior, and is possessed Of rare good
healthrand strength at the age Of -, doing her
own Homework and recently cooking and serv-
ing a sumptuous anniversary dinner to twenty
guests at her home. She IL the daughter Of the
late Alexander Campbell OF Sanganon county,
who died here a few years since at the age OF 81,
and with whose death some very interesting
"reminiscences OF Lincoln's life at New Salem
were lost. Lincoln was a frequent visitor at the
home and a lifelong friend of the Campbells,
and Aunt Christina Clark il able to recall
rapidly many interesting incidents OF her ac-
had many conversations with Mr.. Clark
about Lincoln. Shortly before Uncle Phillips
death he told me that he first met Lincoln in
1881 under circumstances which were such as
to live in hts memory
vivid in memory as my walk downtown yester.
day" said the Oil man, whose eye twinkled
with the keen sense OF the srotesSuea aroused by
some features of the incident This Is the story
as he told IL TO me
the business OF fatbosting, which was a sort Of
craze, as you now call it, among the wellto-do
and pork on the lower Mississippi We were
loading on the south fork OF the Sangamon when
one Gay in the midst Of our work we observed q
tall. lank, lean stranger coming out Of the woods
and toward US.
He had on q ragged coat, an old dropping hat
leg OF which was then Oh and the other ex-
tended down into o rough coarse pair OF gaping
saGfs att sas aPReH Nho soon maze sssa mo t "a eon S q .
was then about %. He soon told US his mission.
He did not smile; he was go earnest all the while
He bore a letter to my father from Den:
who had q hatboat on the other fork of the
river, which had caught on Q snag in fhe stream
f 1Re e Ti.;saf tn ss sn 45e t q eos % amen 70 he 'f iespss he y,
Father told me TO accompany Lincoln 10 ofut's
OOA1- nt Nds % COIlC III A1NtE.
Lincoln and I walked together six miles to
where the boat was stuck In a few moments
We dislodged it and sent it floating down to the
Il have often heard Lincoln credited with
Joking and m~erry-making late In life. and some
have called him a humorist by nature. With all
due regard for the opinionsofth the great men who
seem TO know so much more Of Lncoln's heart
must deny the correctness Of this, for he was the
saddcst and most earnest man ! ever knew, and
had I never heard of him after thar dAfboar
event, / would never have forgotten the i'm
preston OF sorrow he made on me then. II Abe
Joke, for the art was not bred with him, but
came to him In after years TO oil the great ma
chine OF mind straining under the burdens that
God chose TO put upon him..
He told me in my conversation at that first
HHset taifed dhf free aS T Sa, G GeiiSens,s sG[ - and I Sad q
faculty OF impressing those around him You
would call it mesme5isn nowadays.
time my father. myself. and william MeLease.
There was danger Of the snass, and We ali tied
up AZ night and built q DIRE and enjoyed our
for the tiatboat business. He thought seriously
q settling at Walnut Hills. a place not far from
terprise, and Lincoln abandoned this idea
The trip TO Beardstown required seven days.
cooking. and had a skin to take US ashore when
we wished to land at any place. During this
trp ! became ne. as wei vel a sSG,a TED Win Lincoln "a ss
conversation was such as to draw out informa-
ton from his, companions. He. was always,
even In those cherries times. aspiring to better
knowledge and better position.
Il returned to my home near Springfield after
parting with my new friend at Beardstown. I
did not go further down the river al that time,
and he went 10 New Orleans SeighborhoodS
then were not a few miles across. as now. but
they covered immense spaces People spoke OF
others living thirty or forty miles away as neigh
bors, though the country was beginning TO ill up.
associated with him until the spring of 1882,
when, with a number OF others, / enlisted for
Mr.. Lineoln's company. was surprised and glad
to see him an officer. We went together TO
Beardstown. where, 90 account Of my ability as
q boat steerer and my knowledge Of the waters,
] was transferred TO another company and went
TO Fort Armstrong, near Rock Island. Lincoln
secured me the position. and 1t was a great i'm.
provemento on the duties of a private soldier on
the march i was given the choice OF rowboats
and many other nice privileges.
Lincoln reioined Us at the fort, and the army
proceeded up the river. Twas with Lincoln every
day now. and made the acquaintance OF several
ond Lieutenant in the seventh Infantry. and Joe
DAVIS Drilled my company. met and Knew
Zach Taylor, VINO walked round over the boats
every day. in an old rough blouse. making him
look Ike anything but a commander. But be-
know that Old Zach had a kind heart.
nance here. Col Taylor had a pretty daughter
at Fort Armstrong. / once met her while she
wore short dresses. Jeff Davis fell in love with
the child, and in reality eloped with her; The
affair made Col. Taylor 50 mad that he did not
forgive Davis 0r speak TO him until the Mexican
war, when the bravery OF Davis won the old
mans Friendship.
Doing up Hook River the columns were on
both sides of the stream. i had the honor To DO
with LIncoln's men nearly all the time, as wo
sometimes campci on one bank or the other as
eur choice indicated. Lincoln made wonderful
Roadway in gaining acquaintance. II seemed
that every one near him knew him. His tail and
bOny frame rendered him a conspicuous figure
among the soldiers, and there was something
about MS makeup that led men 10 seek his
acquaintance.
Il do not believe the tailor ever lived who was
skllful enough 10 make clothes TO nit Lincoln.
He was the toughest and most Irregular man in
outline ! ever saw. But no child was afraid OF
him and no woman would declare him to 10
ugly. Yet any description OF his appearance
you would write down would warrant the con-
c!ns!on that he was anything but good looking.
Why, l must tell you, the very skin OF the man
did not Mt, for It appeared TO be loose on his
features, and / knew him from youth to age.
After the war lincoln was seized with polit-
ical aspirations, but failed 10 get the coveted
position Of Representative. He met with al
obstacle in my friend Peter Cartwright. a good
man. whom i also knew as well al a brother in