The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-15
AN ANECDoTE OF LINCOLN.
One OF the Many Times He Was Kind
10 the Troubled Soldiers.

One OF the Many Times He Was Kind
10 the Troubled Soldiers.
F. E. Hamilton, in New York Independent.
An anecdote Of Lincoln. displaying the
humanity of the man and the great sym
pathetic heart that throbbed beneath his
rugged exterior, has recently come to my
knoWledge; and as ii has never been in
print, l submit 1t as another item to enlarge
our appreciation of this wonderful man. 1t
relates to perhaps the most trying hours
Of his turbulent, war-racked administra-
ton, the latter days of 1864.
It will be remembered that the national
skies were overloaded in that year: bat
ties were lost hopes betrayed, courage fall
tered; and the end of the great struggle
seemed further in the future than ever be-
FORE Many true Unionists began to doubt
the utility of a continuance of hoStfllt1eS,
and encouragement permeated the air.
At the heart of 1t all stood the President,
apparently unweaTied, undsmayed, deter
mined. In his own great mind he had set
tied the question and was assured of the
outcome. The way might lead along dam
gerous paths, be overshadowed by threat
enings and storm; but he followed it stead
lily. 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 and was traversing
the long halls of the War and Navy build
ing, sedate, unassuming and unattended,
when he met a worn soldier, in the tattered
uniform of blue, evidently at loss among
the many doors along the corridor. For a
moment he watched the man he wan
then accOsted him.
My good man, whom do you wish to
see?5
The soldier looked at his questioner, and,
noting the kindly interest in his face, re-
piled 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 service, that he wished to go
to his home in Vermont, but that he had
been obliged 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 directed, but
as yet he had been unable to find him. He
had been told that the paymaster general
was in this building. and he was now look
ing for his Office.
The Presidents face beamed He knew
that the paymaster general was not the
person WAC actually paid the individual
soldier, and he did not know where the
proper officer was to be found, but he did
know that through his assistance this
bronzed and ragged private, who exempl-
fed the great self-sacrihcing loyalty of
the Nation. could be paid, and taking a
blank card from his pocket he held II
against the wall and with a short pencil
wrote upon it as follows:
This poor soldier is in distress because
he can get no pay. VIII paymaster general
please have him put on the. right track to
get his pay. A. LINCOLN.
NOV. 9, 1884,
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.
It is unnecessary TO state that the soldier
promptly obtained his pay and left the Cap
FOL for his Green Mountain home.
The card. which the overburdened Presi-
dent OF a struggling nation could ind both
time and inclination 10 write. even in the
,nidst Of the turmoil of those powder
Smoked days. to relieve the anxiety OF
still exists and is treasured by its owner
IS q priceless relic.