The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-05
LINCOLN SENT A SUBSTITUTE.
President Had n Personal Representa-
tive in the Army.

Washington Letter in Boston Transcript.
In the files of the Pension Office there
were unearthed last week papers which
seemed to show that President Lincoln, al
though he was not, of course, subject TO the
draft, voluntarily put a young recruit in
the army to represent him at the front
Some features of the transaction are not
quite clear from the record. Indeed, there
is no particular reason why these papers
should make any alluSlon 10 the matter
at all, ii could not affect in any way the
status of the soldier himself for any of the
bureaus purposes.
In his application for a pension, made
on July 20, 1882, John l.. Staples, who served
with the Second District of Columbia In
fantry, makes the statement: II was sub
stitute for President Lincoln" AS the term
''Substisute" would imply that the man he
represented had been drafted the applicant
in his next reference to the matter uses
different term. Il was accepted as a SUBJ
stitute or representative for the President,
Abraham Lincoln. the 1st day of Octo-
Der, 1864, for the term of one year"
Staples has been dead for some years
The records show that he was son of
the Rev John L. Staples, of Stroudsburg
Pa, who was chaplain of the Second Dis
trict of Columbia Infantry. The son first
enlisted on Nov. 3, 1862, in Company c of
the Observation-Disclosures Penn
sylvania drafted militia. He was discharged
from the service on May 5, 1863, on a sur
geon's certificate of disability On Oct g.
1864, the record shows that ne re-enlisted in
Company III of the Second District of CO.
lumbla Infantry, from which he was dis
charged after the close of the war, on
Sept u, 1865.
Appended to the various routine papers
relating TO the case is printed circular
headed: The Presidents Representative
Recruit Visits Him The text is as fol-
lows: "Oct l, 1864, John S. Staples, Presi-
dent Lincoln's Representative recruit, was
arrayed in the uniform of the United States
army, and accompanied by General Fry
provost marshal general Mr.. n. ID. Larner,
of the Third ward and his (Staples's)
fail taxi 70 he tive
sion. where he was received by President
Lincoln. General Fry introduced him by
saying: Mr.. President, this is the man
who is to represent you in the army for
the next year.
MIR. Lincoln shook hands with Staples.
remarked that he was a g'ood-looking, stout
and healthy-looking man, and believed he
would do his duty. He asked Staples if he
had been mustered in, and he replied that
he had.
MIR. Larner then presented the President
with a framed official notice of the fact
that he had put in a representative recruit,
and the President again shook hands with
would be one of the fortunate ones, and
the visiting party then retired"
For what purpose this circular print
ed does not appear, but 1t is suggested that
IL may have been struck off to accompany
the framed official notice of the fact that
he had put in a representative recruit"
which was handed to the President
To a special examiner of the Pension
Office Staples stated that he received
bounty of $500. Who paid this the record
does not show, but Philip Larner, of this
city, a son of n. ID. Larner, referred to
above, believes that it came from the Pres
ident's own pocket. veteran who was
at one time Mr.. Lincoln's orderly and is
now employed at the Pension Office recalls
a good many instances in which young sol
diers in various parts of the country spoke
of themselves as representing the Presi-
dent. HE can't go to the front, I'll just
go in his place." was thought not unlikely
to occur to a patriotic young man. If Mr..
Lincoln paid Staples's bounty himself
however, it marks this off sharply
from any of the others.