Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
THE SLEEPING SENTINEL,
Representative Foster Defends the
Truth of the Well-KnOwn Story.

Representative Foster Defends the
Truth of the WeIl-Known Story.
In its issue of the 9Th instant The Even
ing Star published an article taken from
the Burlington Vt) Free Press about the
romance being taken out Of the story of
the sleeping sentinel who was condemned
to death and pardoned by President Lin
coin In the early part of the war of the
rebellion. Representative D. ]. Foster of
Vermont. whose telling Of the story in a
speech delivered in Boston was the occa-
sion Of the Free Press article, has written
letter to that newspaper defending the
verify Of the story, as follows:
Upon my return to town after an abb
sence of several days my attention is called
to your criticism Of my version of the story
Of young Scott as given by me in my brief
address before the High School on Lin
coins birthday. The salient points of the
story as told by me are that members of
young SCOTS family went from Vermont
to Washington to appeal to President Lin
coin for the young mans life: and that
President Lincoln's treatment Of them and
his anxiety for the young man illustrated
his sympathetic nature. My authority for
the story as told by me is two-fold-the
neighbors and friends Of the Scott family
in the town of Granville, VT, and Col.
Benedict's Vermont in the Civil War"
Some months ago learned from friends
In the town of Granville, in Addison coun-
W, IndC lnOlaS SCOIt, the 1atner OF young
Scott, lived for fifteen or twenty years after
the war in that town, dying there in 1880
or 1891; that he sent five sons to the war
and that at the time his son William Scott
was sentenced to be shot he and his daugh-
ter went from Vermont to Washington and
appealed to President Lincoln in his behalf
When it occurred to me to make use of the
incident on Lincolns birthday I wrote to
the son Of one of the leading citizens Of the
town. a veteran of the civil war and
trustworthy man in all respects, saying
that wanted to use the incident and want
ed the exact facts. 1 received In reply
letter signed by both father and son cor
roborating all that had heard previously
and saying among other things as follows:
THE fathers name was Thomas Scott,
who died in 1890 or 1891. He lived in Wash
tngton, VT, at the time when he went to
Washington. D. c., to ask President Lin
coin for the life of the son that was to be
shot for sleeping on his post. He lived the
last twenty years Of his life here. You will
find the whole history Of the case in Ben
edict's Vermont in the Civil War; volume
l. page 1872 OF course. there is nothing
mentioned there In regard to Thomas
Scotts going to Washington in his sons
behalf, but a number of people here know
the whole circumstances as related by
Thomas Scott"
In Col. Benedict's vermont in the Civil
War;" on pages 1928. volume /, where an
account of the incident is given, there is
the following: 1.-THE sentence was promui-
gated on the 9Th of September, and was to
DC executed on the morning of the Sth,
In the evening Of the 7th the matter came
to the knowledge Of President Lincoln, and
ne at once granted a respite of the SEN
tence. His order for a stay Of the execu-
tion was telegraphed to Camp Advance;
but, hearing nothing from It, and fearing it
might have miscarried, Mr.. Lincoln ordered
his carriage, and little before midnight,
AFTER drive of nearly ten miles, made his
appearance at the brigade headquarters, to
reiterate his order In person. and make sure
OF the life of the young Vermonter. Yours
truly, d. ]. FOSTER
The Mortified, VT, News comes to the
support of Mr.. Foster as follows:
The sleeping sentinel bids fair to be-
come an issue in the first district Con-
gresham Foster has replied to the Bur
lington Free Press criticism of the ro-
nance as related by him in a recent speech
In Boston and points out the fact that con-
siderable of the story appears in Benedict's
Vermont in the Civil War" thus COM
pelling the Free Press editor who Is the
author Of the history. to acknowledge that
this statement In the book which cost