The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-06
LINCOLN AND SUICIDE.
The War President Cast Into Depth Of
Despair by Ho0ker's Defeat
at Charlottesville.

startled us, and its details are Still
vivid in my memory. Mr.. Stanton
had been relating to us many incl
dents Of the funny side of Mr.. Lin
coin S character, when suddenly he
stopped, and, after remaining silent
for probably minute, looking in a
vacant way at some manuscript lying
on the desk before him, he turned IN
his chair and said: "Gentltmen, there
is nothing that gives me so much pain
as the opinion that seems prevalent:
Judging from the newspapers, that Mr..
Lincoln was an habitual joker: that it
was an impossibility for him to be Sc
rious, no matter how grave the occa-
sion might be. Nothing is further
from the truth. His heart was big
and good, his nature warm and sunny;
hence he naturally looked at the
bright side of events; but no man OF
my acquaintance was more serious
than he when the surroundings Of the
case warranted that he should be. l
will give you point in instance.
"Mr. Lincoln, during the war, was
very sensitive Of the criticisms of his
administration by the newspaper press,
believing it to be, as he asserted, the
true voice Of the people. The fail
ures Of Mcdowell, Mcclellan, Burn
side and Pope with the Army of the
Potomac and the criticisms made
thereon - the newspapers almost
crazed him. Time and again he would
free himself from the executive man
sion and seek my little Office: the only
place IN Washington, he often said,
where he could be absolutelyfree from
interruption. When he became clos
eted With me on these visits Mr. Lin
coin would unbosom himself and talk
of his cares aud woes. Several times
he insisted that he ought to resign,
and thus give the country an oppor-
tupity to secure some one better fitted
to accomplish the great task expected
of the president. Or, if he did not
resign, he thought he ought to i'm
press upon Congress the propriety OF
giving absolute control Of the army to
some purely military man. 1t was
during one of these moods that he
conceived the idea Of placing Hooker
in command of the Army Of the Poto-
mac and of vesting him with such
power that, in his opinion, he could
not fail of success. He had great
idea of Hooker ability as soldier,
and in addition he believed him to be
an honest man and sincere patriot.
He wanted him to fight what he intend
ed should be, and what he felt would
be, the closing battle Of the war. Ac-
cordingly, when Hooker got under
way and the news came that at Chan
cellorsville he would make his fight.
Mr.. Lincoln was in the greatest state
of mental excitement. From the time
that Hooker's army began it's march
until the smoke of battle had cleared
from the fatal field Of Charlottesville
he scarcely knew what it was to sleep.
"It will be remembered that the
fight lasted three days. During the
first two days it looked as if Hooker
was about to accomplish what so.many
generals before him had failed to do;
but, early on the third day the usual
half hour dispatches began to make
matters look dark and ominous Of de-
feat. That whole day Mr.. Lincoln
was miserable. He ate nothing and
would see no one but me. AS it grew
dark the dispatches ceased coming at
all. Mr.. Lincoln would walk from
the white house to my department and
anxiously inquire for news from
Hooker. With the going down Of the
sun a cold and drenching rain SCI in,
which lasted through the night. At
about Z o'clock Mr.. Lincoln ceased
his visits to my department, and gave
orders at the executive mansion that
he would see no one before morning.
An hour afterward dispatch of an
indefinite character was received from
Hooker, and I hurried with it to Mr..
Lincoln apartments. When | enter
ed found him walking the floor, and
his agonized appearance SO terrified
me that it was with difficulty that I
could speak. Mr.. Lincoln approached
me like man wild with anxiety and
excitement, seized the dispatch from
my hand, read it, and, his face slight
ly frightening, remarked, Stanton,
there is hope yet At my solicita-
ton, Mr.. Lincoln accompanied me 70