New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-05
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
GENERAL o. o. HowARD's PLEA rop
WORTHY INSTITUTION.


interview you kindly granted me, the interest,
of the educational and industrial en,s,.
prise with which I am connected. situated a,
eral Howard, please write me a letter and trv
TO state your case to the readers OF The Tr,h.
une in the order and manner you have Ore.
scented II to me. II only the larger audience can
listen to you as / have done to-day. you will
not want for the needed help for your grouo
OF schools that you have so happily named Lin.
coin Memorial University"
You and /. my friend. sat together durins
the battle upon the Cemetery Ridge at Get.
tysburg, as neither OF us ever forget. Ths
round shot were striking the tombstones, thu
shells shrieking and bursting in the hot air
above u.s. and the brave defenders using can.
non and small arms, we're all about US. some &C.
tive and some falling with wounds.
think In the educational line we workers IN
the mountains centred at Cumberland CAP
Tenn. have Gettysburg. strategic point. to
be held, and we want to plant veritable monu.
ments there in the shape of education and all
its accomplishments. We lay great stress upon
the practical for the boys and girls OF that
mountain region. developing particularly indus.
trial features. We have buildings for present
use and five hundred acres Of excellent land
but the Indebtedness is not yet cleared of. To-
day IT is SO 300 fair endowment has beea
promised to us IL we would first get clear Of all
debt. Other sums contingent. One friend
says: II will be one of one hundred to give
81 900 each; another says, Il Will give 5000
II $4,000 be secured"
Yes, as you say. just now I am in afiictioA
Still, feel that must work. Perhaps work Is
best. You know the last message Of my noble
son, Colonel Guy Howard, who has just fallen
at Luzon, is burned into my brain and affects
my heart night and day. He was on the
steamer "a launch) which was dragging barges
filled with necessary supplies for Lawtons
army. The long tow was moving up the Chi
quita River, when an enemy in ambush on shore
fired. shot pierced his right lung As helwas
dying he staggered toward the wheelman while
his men were returning the fire. and said
Whatever happens. keep the launch goingr
/ keep answering 10 myself, Yes, willp 50
at once / have come here to New-York 10 90
from office to office and from house to house to
entreat my friends to aid in this educational
part Of our Nations work, especially for those
who have somehow been left behind In the
worlds advancement, and yet have the ability
lacking only a favorable opportunity.
THE LOYAL MoUNTAINEERs
Two months after you and parted at Gettys.
burg in 1863 you will remember how took the
Eleventh Army Corps to the West starting from
near Culpeper TO go by rail 10 Bridgeport Ala,
and thence to Rosecrans and George H. Thomas
holding Chattanooga. To accomplish this I was
passing through Washington. Mr.. Lincoln called
me to an interview. After his usual pleasIs
greeting, he took me by the hand and led met
his framework for maps where he pulled dow
the chart which he wished to consult. This uma
II was that large one of the two States Ken
lucky and Tennessee. He put his finger upon
that wonderful gap in the mountain range whie
separates the two States. and said: "GenerA
Howard, couldn't you go through there with Z
force and seize Knoxville and deliver those peo-
pie of East TENNESSEE" Then. looking at me
steadily and showing singular feeling, with EN-
phasis he said: "They are loyal there, General!
They are loyalr' was probably too wary IN my
answer to get the chance myself. and my soldisrs
were needed elsewhere. Burnside however. SUBJ
sequently worked his way with his Ninth corps
from Kentucky across the range to knoxvils
and had hard task to stay there. because
Bragg sent Longstreet's corps 10 dislodge Mn
The numerous Unonists OF the mountains kept
Burnside's men In supplies during all that poooy
battling in the vicinity and during the trying
siege Many Union soldier blessed the prsH
mountaineers who chung with incredible teN
fly to the old flag. After the battles in Loom"
Valley. on Lookout Mountain and Missionc1
Ridge Sherman with the Fifteenth Corps ga
myself with the Eleventh Corps marched nofu'
ward hundred miles to deliver Burnsides arm"
then hemmed in at Knoxville. We moved aorsa''
over the country, five or six miles apart a"
through that mountain country. from Bridge.
port to Chattanooga and from Chattanoogato'"
rough lands north OF Loudon in East Tenness's
the people met us with extraordinary maniles'S
ton of kindness and favor. They brought ou'
hidden Stars and Stripes; they placed TUBS auS
pals filled with water for us by the roacsia''
they gathered provisions and freely offered theA
to the soldiers, and many sat down upon un'
ground and pulled off their shoes 20 give 'ae"
to some Of our men who had none. haa Nv
where else met with such enthusiasm FOR 0S'
cause.
1t was am sure. these people of the m0uA
tain regions, disturbed and driven hitner ."
thither by the terrible war; that caused MI hn'
coin to put into the law the pregnant ~o'us
loyal refugees" In the interest OF the coO''s
people I worked hard and long More 'na.
seventy institutions OF high grade have nsf's
to plant and now see them, after a quarter u.
century, abundantly successful But those ~
loyal refugees" for the mountain whites !"
behndhand.
ORIGIN OF THE INSTITUTION.
Some four years ago some aged missloha,',
called me 10 Cumberland Gap. showed TIE
had been already done and begged for my
vice and help. Almost as II Mr.. Llncolh' -,
message was upon me- consented 10 90
/ could. The result has been. to put " o''.
the Lincoln Memorial University It's o0'e
contained In a single sentence or our eN w..
charter: said charter shall ever seek 70 -.
education possible TO the humble eoih'non
pie OF America, among whom Abraham LIN
was born" =.
We call q university. like rather TO say