The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-05-27
NUMBER 4s.

wounded. President Lincoln went to
him next and spoke kind words Of
cheer to him also and told him the
same as he did me. Calhoun handed
MIR. Lincoln a Bible, which his young
wife had placed in his pocket when he
left home for the front, with the re-
quest that he should send it to her, the
address being written on the fly leaf
and under it these words he had put
In pencil on the field after he was
wounded:
Dear Wife, am dying on the battle
field Meet me in heaven
Calhoun and myself were soon aft
erward taken to the hospital at Fred
erick, Md, where we received every
attention that medical skill and care
full nursing could bestow to relieve our
sufferings. After many months we be-
came convalescent. One bright morn
Ing we were called to headquarters
and notified that we would be sent to
Fort Monroe the next day. My heart
leaped into my throat at the thought
of seeing the dear ones at home again.
81 knew that the trip to Fort Monroe
meant exchange or parole. The night
was long and weary. but the thought
Of home, sweet home cheered my
lonely heart. Day at last dawned, and
we were soon astir, making ready to
start for Baltimore. As we were in
line ready to leave an officer handed
Calhoun and myself each a package.
After the train had started and we
were on our journey we opened the
packages, and, much to our astonish-
ment. but delight. we had our Bibles,
Calhoun's for his wife and mine for
mother. In turning the pages over we
found cards in the Bibles with the fol-
lowing written, on mine this:
Take this book of God to your mother
and receive her blessing.
"A LINCOLN
"On Calhoun's this:
Take this book of God to the wife You
loved and remembered on the battlefield
"A LINCOLN
''In each one we found the cards be-
tween the leaves in the twelfth chap
ter Of Ecclesiastes and the first, thir-
teenth and fourteenth verses marked
in pencil with the letter L on the
margin. First verse read thus: Re
member now thy Creator in the days
Of thy youth. while the evil days come
not nor the years draw nigh. when
thou shalt say l have no pleasure in
them;' the thirteenth. Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter-fear
God and keep his commandments, for
this is the whole duty of man. and the
fourteenth, For God shall bring every
work into judgment with every secret
thing. whether it be good or whether
It be evil
calhoun and myself devoted our
time on the trip to Baltimore and Fort
Monroe committing to memory the
twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes. 1t
made such an impression on my MEM
ory that l have never forgotten it.
When l arrived home and told the sto-
ry Of my wound and captivity and
how kindly l had been treated by the
enemy, they were disposed not to be-
ieve my statement. l produced the
Bible which mother had placed in my
pocket when l started to the army
nearly two years previous. l turned
the book over to her, as President Lin
coin told me should. and received her
blessing. Her sharp eye soon caught
the card and marked verses. 'Ah,' she
said. my son. ever let these verses be
your guide through life. in war and
peace l have ever since tried to live
| up to the verses marked by the kind
hand Of the great Lincoln and the
teachings Of the book that saved my
life. Calhoun returned to his wife
and took the Bible she gave him when
he left her for the war
HE never recovered from his wound
and has long since passed away to the
unknown world. l remained home sew
| eral months before was able to per-
form military duty of the nchtest kind.
When the Confederacy became so
pressed for recruits. the MANNED, the
old and young had to 60. | returned to
| the front and remained until the close
| Of the war; Washington Post.