The National tribune., 1900-05-10
EVERYDAY LIFE OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
from first page. }

iLiilSoih Was lOb u piSpOooSooiiiSS AiAehAir
with scarcely a redeeming feature, save
his benignant eye, which was the very
symbol of human kindness. 'fIhave one
vice. he said to me one morning, 'and can
call it nothing else, it is not to be able to
say no! Thank God he continued, for
not making me woman; but if he had,
suppose He would have made me just as
ugly as He did, and no one would ever
have tempted me. 1t was only the other
day, a poor parson, whom l knew some
years ago in Joliet, came to the White
House with sad story OF his poverty and
his large family, poor parsons seem always
to have large families, and he wanted me
to do something for him. l knew very
well that could do nothing for him, and
yet / couldn't bear to tell him so, and so |
said / would sec what l could do. The
very next day the man came back for the
Office which he said that had promised
him, which was not true, but he seemed
really to believe it., OF course there was
nothing left for me to do except to get him a
place through one of the Secretaries. But
if had done my duty, L should have said
no in the beginning"
THE PRESIDENT WITNESSES AN AT
TACK ON THE REBEL RAM MERRI-
MAC.
at was late in the evening"" continues
Gen. Viele, when we arrived at Fortress
Monroe. - Answering the hail of the
guardboats we made landing, and the
Secretary of War Immediately dispatched
a messenger for Gen. Wool, the commander
of the fort; on whose arrival it was decided
to consult at once with Admiral Colds
borough, the commander OF the fleet, whose
flagship, the Minnesota, superb model
of naval architecture, lay short distance
off the shore. The result of this conference
was plan to get up an engagement the
next day between the Merrimac and the
Monitor, so that, during the night, the
Vanderbilt, which had been immensely
strengthened for the purpose, might put
on all steam and run her down. Accord
ingly, the next morning, the President and
party went over to the Rip Raps to see the
naval combat. The Merrimac moved out
of the mouth of the Elizabeth River, quietly
and steadily, just as she had come out
only few weeks before, when she had
sunk the Congress and the Cumberland.
She wore an air of defiance and dGtermna-
ton even at that distance. The Monitor
moved up and waited for her. All the other
vessels got out Of the way to give the Van
down upon the rebel terror in their might,
as soon as she could clear the coast line.
1t was calm Sabbath morning, and the
air was still and tranquil Suddenly, the
stiffness was broken by the cannon from
the vessels and the great guns from the
Rip Raps, that filled the air with sulphur
GUS smoke and a terrific noise that rever-
berated from the fortress and the opposite
shore like thunder. The firing was main
tained for several hours, but all to no pur
pose; the MerTimac moved sullenly back to
her position. 1t was determined that night
that on the following day Vigorous offensive
operations should be undertaken. The
whole available naval force was to bonn
bard SeWalPs Point, and under cover Of the
bombardment the available troops from
Fortress Monroe were to be landed at that
point and march on Norfolk. Accord
ingly, the next morning, a tremendous
cannonading of Sewell's Point took place.
The wooden sheds at that place were set on
fire and the battery was silenced. The
Merrimac, coated with mail and lying low
in the water, looked on but took no part.
Night came on, and the cannonading
ceased. 1t was so evident that the Merri-
mac intended to act only on the defensive,
and that SO long as she remained where
she was no troops could be landed in that
vicinity, that they were ordered to disem-
bark.
"That night the President, with the
SeCTetdTy Ol war slIlu the ioccTtJstTy Oh bile
Treasury, went over on the Miami to the
Virginia shore, and by the light of the
moon landed on the beach and walked up
and down a considerable distance to assure
himself that there could be no mistake in
the matter. How little the Confederacy
dreamed what a visitor it had that night
to the sacred soil"
CAPTURE OF NORFOLK.
The following morning an advance was
made upon Norfolk by the route proposed
by Gen. Viele. The attempt was success
full, and before night Gen. Viele was in
command of the captured city. Some
time after midnight, as Gen. Viele records,
with shock that shook the city, and
with an ominOus sound that could not be
mistaken, the magazine of the Merrimac
was exploded, the vessel having been cut
off from supplies and deserted by the crew
and thus this most formidable engine of
destruction, that had SO long been Il terror,
not only TO Hampton Roads, but 10 the
Atlantic coast, went TO her doom, a tragic
and glorious finale to the trip of the Mama" !"
MIR. LINCoLN'S ACCOUNT OF THE
AFFAIR.
Secretary Chase had accompanied the
expedition against Norfolk, returning TO
Fortress Monroe, with Gen. Wool, i'm
mediateiy after the surrender of the city.
The scene which ensued on the announce
ment of the good tidings they brought back
to the anxious parties awaiting news of
them, was thus described by the President:
"Chase and Stanton" said Mr.. Lincoln,
"had accompanied me to Fortress Monroe.
While we were there, an expedition was
fitted out for an attack on Norfolk. Chase
and Gen. Wool disappeared about the time
we began to look for tidings OF the result,
and after vainly waiting their return till
late in the evening, Stanton and | con-
cluded to retire. My room was on the
second floor OF the Commandant's house,
and Stanton's was below. The night was
very warm-the moon shining brightly
and, too restless to sleep, | sat for some
time by the table, reading. Suddenly
hearing footsteps, lo6ked out of the win
dow, and saw two persons approaching,
whom knew by their relative size to be the
missing men. They came into the passage
and heard them rap AT Stanton's door and
tell him to get up and come upstairs. A
moment afterward they entered my room.
|. mo time for ceremony, Mr.. President said
Gen. Wool Norfolk es oursr Stanton
here burst in, just out Of bed, clad in long
nightgown, which nearly swept the floor,
his ear catching as he crossed the threshold
WOol's last words. Perfectly overioyed,
he rushed at the General. whom he hugged
most affectionately, fairly lifting him from
the floor in his delight. The scene al
| together must have been n comical one,
| though at the time we were all too greatly
excited to take much note of mere appear
anceS."