The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-12-03
An ANECDoTE oFLlNCoLN.

An aEecdote of Lincoln, displaying
the humanity of the man and the
great, sympathetic heart that throb-
bed beneath his rugged exterior, has
recently come to my knowledge; and
as il has never been in print | submit
it as another item to enlarge our ap-
probation of this wonderful man.
1t relates TO perhaps the most trying
hours of his turbulent, war-racked adj
ministration, the latter days of 1864.
1t will be remembered that the
national skies were overloaded in
that year; battles were lost, hopes be-
trayed courage faultered and faultere-
ed; and the end of the great struggled
seemed further iii the future than
ever before. Many true Unionists
began to doubt the utility of con-
tinuance of hostiities, and discourage
ment permeated the air.
At the heart Of all this stood the
President, apparently unwearied, un-
dismayed, determined. In his OWN
great mind he had settled the ques-
ton and was assured of the outcome.
The way might lead along dangerous
paths be oyershadowed by threaten
ings ard storm; but he followed it
steadily, mistaken in his belief of the
ultimate result.
One day in November, of the year
referred to, the President had been at
the Office OF the Secretary of War,a
was traverSirg the long halls of the
War and Navy Building, sedate, I'M
assuming and unattended, when he
met q worn soldier, in the tattered
uniform of blue, evidently at loss
among the many doors along the cor
ridor. For moment he watched the
man as he wondered uncertainty from
point to point, and then accosted
hi'a.
Ny good man, whom do you wish
to see:''
The soldier looked at his questioner
and noting the kindly interest in his
face, replied that he was just from the
Army of the Potomac, having been
discharged the day before, upon the
expiration of his three year-term of ser
vice, that he wished to go to his home
in Vermont, but that he had been oblig
ed to stop in Washington to get the
money that was due him, AS the reGi
mental paymaster had given him an
order for the money, payable in
Washington. For hours he had been
wandering about the city and the
public buildings, looking for the
officer to whom his order was direct
ed but as yet he had been unable to
find him. He had been told that the
paymast er General was in this build
ingand he was now looking for his
office.
The Presidents face beamed He
knew that the Paymaster q euerul w Is
not the person who actually paid The
al cnlIinr nd hn IjI
know where the proper officer was to
be found, but he did know that
through his assistance this bron2ed
and ragged private, who exemplitied
the great self-sacrifcing 10y atty of the
nation, could be paid, and taking a
blank card from his pocket, he held it
against the wall and with a short pen
Gil wrote upon il us follows:
This poor soldier is in distress be-
cause he can get no pay. Will Pay
master General please have him put
on the right track to get his pay.
Nov. 9th, 1864. A. LINCOLN.
Handing this message to the veteran
he directed him where to find the
office OF the Paymaster-General and
instructed him to present the card at
the door.
1t is unnecessary to state that the
soldier promptly received his pay and
left the Capitol for his Green Noun
tain home.
The card, which the overburdened
President of struggling nation could
find both time and inclination to write
even in the midst of the turmoil of
those powder smoked days, to relieve
the anxiety of "a single, supplemented
man of the people, still exists and is
treasured by its owner as Q priceless
relic