Evening journal., 1900-01-02
LINCOLN IN DESPAIR
THE TiMEiW+EN He WAS TEMPT
ED TO SUICIDE.

story Told By Secretary Of Mar
Stanton to Congressman Young.
mr. Lincoln during the war was
very sensitive Of tho criticisms on his
press, believing it to be. as he assert |
ed, the true voice Of the people. The
failures of Mcdowell, Mcclellan. Burn.
side and Poe with the Army Of the Po
tomac and the criticisms made there
on by the newspapers almost crazed
him. Time and again he would free
himself from the Executive Mansion
and seek my little office, the only
place In Washington, he often said,
where he could be absolutely free from
interruption. When he became closet
ed with me on these visits Mr. Lincoln
would unbosom himself and talk of
his cares and woes. Several times hel
insisted that he ought to resign, andl
thus give the country an opportunity
TO secure some one better fitted to ac-
complish the great task expected oil
the President Or, II he did not re
sign, he thought he ought TO impress
upon Congress the propriety of givlngI
the absolute control OF the army toI
some purely military man. II was dur.
ing one Of these moods that he con-
ceived the idea Of placing Hooker inl
command of the Army of the Potomac,
and of vesting him with such power
that, in his opinion. he could not fail
of success. He had a great idea oil
Hookers ability as a soldier, and in
addition he believed him to be an hon
est man and a sincere patriot. He
wanted him to fight what he intended
should be and what he felt would be-,
the closing battle of the war. Accord.
ingly, when Hooker got under way,
and the news came that at Chancel.
louisville he would make his fight. Mr.
Lincoln was in the greatest state Of
mental excitement. From the time
that Hooker's army began its march
until the smoke of battle had cleared
from the fatal field of Charlottesville
he scarcely knew what It was to sleep
1T will be remembered that the
fight lasted three days. During the
first two days it looked as II Hooker
was about TO accomplish what So
many generals before him had failed
to do; but, early on the third day, the
usual halfhour dispatches began to
make matters look dark and ominous
Of defeat. The whole day Mr. Lincoln
was miserable He ate nothing, and
would see no one but me. AS il grew
dark the dispatches ceased coming at
all. Mr.. Lincoln would walk from the
White House to my apartment and
anxiously inquire for news from Hook.
er With the going down of the sun
cold and drenChing rain set in,
which lasted through the night At
about o'clock Mr.. Lincoln ceased his
visits 70 my apartment. and gave or.
ders at the Executive Mansion that he
would see no one before morning An
hour afterward a dispatch of indefinite
character was received from Hooker.
and / hurried with it to Mr.. LincOln's
apartments. When I entered l found
him walking the floor. and his agon.
lied appearance so terrified me that Il
was with difficulty that / could speak
/ Mr. Lincoln approached me like a man
wild with excitement, seized the dis
patch from my hand, read It, and, his
I face slightly Frightening. remarked
Stanton, there is hope YETI At my
solicitation Mr.. Lincoln accompanied
| me to the War Department. where he
agreed to spend the night, OF until
something definite was heard from
| Hooker For five hours, the longest
and most wearisome of my life, / wait
ed before a dispatch announcing the
retreat of Hooker was received. When
Mr.. Lincoln read it he threw up his
hands and exclaimed, Ny God, Stan
ton, our cause is lost We are ruined
we are ruined: and such a fearful
loss of lifel My God this is more than
| can endured. He stood, TREMBLING
visibly, his face Of a CHASTITY hue, the
Precipitation standing out in big spots
on his brow. He put on his hat and
coat and began to pace the floor. Fol
! five or ten minutes he was silent and
then, turning to me. he said: If l am
not around early tomorrow, do not
send for me, nor allow any one to dis
turb me. Defeated again, and so many
/ OF our noble countrymen killed. What
will the people say?'
"As he finished he started for the
door. l was alarmed There was
something indescribable about the
Presidents face and manner that
made me feel that my chief should moi
/ be left alone How to approach him
4 without creating suspicion was the
thought of a second. Going up to him
and laying my hand on his shoulder
] said. Mr.. President, /, too, am feel
ing that ! would rather be dead thar
alive. but is it manly--it is brave
that we should be the first to sue
cumb? I have an idea: You remain
here with me tonight Lie down on
j yonder lounge. and by the time you
have had a few hours sleep, / will
have a vessel at the wharf, and We
viii go to the front and see for our
selves the condition of the army"
THE idea of visiting the army in
i person acted like a tonic. Mr. Lincoln
Immediately adopted the suggestion
The next morning we left Washington
on a gunboat FOR Rockers command
On our return trip Mr. Lincoln told m,
that when he started TO leave tn,
War Department on that evening h,
had fully made up his mind to go i'm
mediately to the Potomac River ant
there end his life, as many a poor crea
ture-but none half so miserable as n,
was at that time-had done before
him. Philadelphia Times.