St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-04-27
A TOwnsman Who Made History.

E. F. Brown has received letter from
his nephew, Arthur Knapp of Boston,
which contains copy of a letter written
Mr.. Knapp by his old playmate, Johna-
than Barker Pierce Older readers of the
CALIFORNIAN will remember Mr.. Pierce
"as little white-headed boy living up
near the West place, above Fairbanks
village" His father, Charles Pierce,
moved West before the war broke out
and the letter published below was dated
June 1, 1860. Concerning this letter Mr..
Knapp writes, at was written by
boy of 10, who in another letter tells me
he had not entered a schoolhouse since
he was 13 years old. On the strength Of
his acquaintance with Mr.. Lincoln he
was appointed telegrapher in the head
quarters of the Army of the Potomac,
and in all its wanderings, and under all
its commanders, from first to last, did
faithful service and is repeatedly men,
toned in the history OF the telegraph
service Of the civil war. have copied
the extract as know it would interest
you and perhaps Others who may re-
member his family. When every least
incident relating to our martyred Lin
coin is eagerly sought for and recorded,
it should not be forgotten that it was a
st. .Johnsbury boy who first notified him
OF his nomination and congratulated him
as the next president"
And here follows the extract from Mr..
Pierces letter to Mr.. Knapp:
II staid in Galena eight weeks and
then posted off, via Illinois Central &
Chicago, Alton & st. Louis railroad, for
Springfield Ill. | was there about a
month and had the very distinguished
honor to be the first one who announced
and congratulated Old Abe on his nomi-
nation. During the convention week
Mr.. Lincoln was in our Office nearly all
the time. | got intimately acquainted
with him. He is one OF the ireest and
most plain spoken men / ever saw. l
send you his autograph, together with
the name of that dirt eating partzan OF
the little giant, John A. McClernand, rep
resentative OF the 9th and 9th con-
gressional district oil Illinois.
"Politics run rather high in the state
of the little joker and Old Abe tour next
president.) think Douglas stock is on
the decline. 1t began to decline after he
wasn't nominated at the Charleston
hubbub, and the last scene OF the drama
will be concluded at Baltimore.
"The curtain will drop, the foot-lights
go out, and Stephen A. Douglas will be
remembered among the things that were"
Let the mouth of America take warn
ing at the fate of this champion of squat
ter sovereignty, and never try to I'LL a
place they are too small Tor.
II won't have vote for two long
years, am sorry can't help Old Abe, but
no use to cry for it. But the first vote
do cast will be for free labor and tree
speech, for the suppression of that inhu
man traffic the slave trade and Tor the
annihilation of slavery. may be what
some would call an abolitionist, but | dc
believe that negro he's better right G
himself than any one else has to him.
also believe slavery to be wrong, and q
wrong ought not to exist under any cir
cumstances. The great point Mr.
Douglas harps upon is, We don't care
whether slavery is voted up or voted
down say a man who declares this
TO be his own sentiment shows no re-
GARD for the future welfare Of his country
Shows no sympathy for that down trod
den and down cast race, and deserves to
be classed with such men as Benedict
Arnold"