Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-01-15

soldier letter ill an envelope bearing tbe above words, signed by tho great war president
 Frank King was a Lamartine boy, fresh from the farm, and character our whole company took to kindly from the first.
 When the army was camped in Vir- oinia near Washington, the winter of 18G1-2, it was a common practice with tbe 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 R. Doolittle, now Chicago law yer. the other by the late Senator T. o. Howe, who succeeded Captain James as postmaster general ill President Arthur's cabinet. For 20 years senators and mem- bers have been giving a good deal of their time to helping the soldiers with their pension claims. If they have dono it as willingly and pleasantly as they used to frank envelopes for the boys, they must be pretty nearly angels. "You follows, there, are making a big blast over getting couple of sena- tors to frank your envelopes, said 4 Frank King. "Just you wait till you see E mo come back from Washington with \ the presidents name on some letter cov- CTS. "
 Within few days Frank King and | Harry Dunn, who for years after the war was Chicago business man. went to the city They called at the White House. It was easier to sec the president then than it is now. At certain hours A of the day soldier could reach tho chief executive with fully as much ease as q senator can i'll these later years. \ King was the ringleader. Approach ing the guard, he said: We want to see Mir Lincoln. Please stand aside and let us pass.
 < "Who are you, and what is your busi ness?''
 "You tell old Abe wo have charge of a regiment over on Arlington Heights 8 and want to see him OH ah important & matter He'll lot us in. , @ Where arc your shoulder straps?t' I've came over i'll our everyday \ clothes. Come, we are in a hurry. Let $ as go in and see Mr. Lincoln. J ! The barley had attracted the attention ] of the president The door swung open 2 and the good natured chief of the nation E smiled upon the cheeky young fellows E and bade them step right in. 8 What can do for you, my menP" # "Mr. Lincoln, want you to frank these envelopes, said King. A Better get your congressman to do # that. 7"
 # "I'd much rather have you do it, Mir. Lincoln. The folks at homo would like # to see your name on my letters. D 8 "Pll fix one of them. Take the rest # to your congressman. Who is he?'' T don't know ''
 Where is your home?' II "Lamartine, Fond du Lao county, 8Wis"
 E "That is my friend Scott Sloan dis
 hict You go to Mir Sloan. He will fix
 Inc rest of them. 1"
 # The president shook hands with the
 two priVates, asked them to be brave
 Nldiers and wished them safe return X to their western homes.
 8 Frank couldn't make his tentmates
 eeieve that the president had written: Fl Let this go. A Lincoln. But the next
 day he wrote letter to his father. The
 name of Lincoln was personally exam
 med by all of the neighbors.
 In January, 1864, our regiment was # Washington on the way home, having
 veteranized,o as they
 called it. In company with two others went to tue White House. The presi-
 aent shook hands with us, thanked us
 TOT swearing in for three years more and
 expressed the hope that we would have
 anee visit on our veteran furlough.
 MT. President, said Jones-Ed
 Jones-"yoh franked letter for one of
 the boys i'll our company, Frank King
 wish you would frank-one for me. 8 Odd as it may seem, you arc tho
 second soldier to make such request
 50 both are of the same company? Very ' we'll"
 On Jones' envelope he wrote "A
 Lincoln, President, and as he handed Fl ""OA u6 dSkSu Wnut uiltt D6COul6 Ol
 that other man who had asked him to
 pass letter.
 He was killed at Gettysburg. J
 shall never forget the 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
 hng for? Did you see how it pained
 him?"
 What did he ask about him for? No
 you suppose I was going to lie to ma1
 would die forf" was Jones indignant
 'epiy-Chicago Times Herald.