The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-05-30

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ut happened that ny injury neeesa-
tated lying on my left side, and -.
separated, ~ our cots were. BY li&tlo
more than an arms length, I was priv
ileged to watch. to study. to pity and
to love this man. On the night OF
April 8 there came . serious crisis In
Houghton's case through a secondary
hemorrhage Of an artery Of the ampu-
tNed limb. Surgeons and nurses
worked until daylight to assuage the
flowing lifeblood. All in the ward
were deeply interested, and there was
many sigh of relief from his COM
panions when IN the early morning
word went down the line Of cots that
the artery had been taken up and there
was get ground for hope.
President Is Announced.
"About 8 o'clock Of the following
forenoon the door which / lay facing
opened, and from the surgeon in charge
of the corps hospitals, DR.. Mcdonald.
came the command: Attention! The
president of the United States" To
myself and probably to most Of US
this was unexpected. fer we had rot
l,,ovn that President Lincoln had been
risiting the army.
Raising my eyes to the doorway,
had my first sight OF the president. and
it was not an impressive one. His
clothes were travel stained. i'll fitting
ard very dusty; his hat was an i'm
mensely exaggerated type Of the
stovcpipe variety, his neckwe0r was
awrr. and bis face showed pressing
need of the services Of q barber. IN
short, his whole appearance seemed to
Justify the caricaturists Of those days
II their worst cartoons.
"Unescorted, except by the surgeon.
Tie president, bowling his tall form to
enter the low doorway, stepped in.
turned a step or two to tie right and,
tenderly placing his hand on Hough-
IONS forehead, stood for an instant
looking into his face; then. bending
down to the low cot as mother would
10 her child, he kissed Houghton's
white cheek.
IN voice so tender and so low that
only my near proximity enabled me to
near, he began to talk to him, telling
him how he had heard from DR.. Nc
Donald al. the story of his bravery in
battle. his heroic fight for life and
in, -fn1 nf
the sad happening Of the night
'poor HouShtou could only reply
with faint smiles and whispers that
were too low to reach my ears, but Mr.
Lincoln heard, and a smile came to his
grave face. Turning to the surgeon.
the president asked to be shown the
ma jor's wounds, especially the anpu.
tated limb. DR.. Mcdonald tried TO
dissuade him by saying the sight. es-
pacially after what had just taken
place, would be too shocking, but the
president insisted. turned down the
light coverings and took hasty look.
Strengthening up. with a deep groan Of
pain. and throwing up both his long
arms. he cried out oh. this awful.
awful war; Then, bending again to
Houghtcn, with the tears cutting wide
burrows down his dust stained cheeks
and with great sobs shaking him.
he exclaimed: Poor boy! Poor boy!
You must live! You must! This time
the majors whispered answer. 4 in
tend to, SIR was just audible. land
here. let me say in parenthesis, he did
live many long and useful years.)
With tender parting hand stroke and
a God bless you. my boyv the presi-
dent moved to the next cot in line and
to the next and soon down the right
and back on the left side Of the ward.
with a warm hand clasp aud simple,
kind. fatheriy word for each one. Then
he passed out. But for us 1t was Diff
ferent place. We had seen there the
sonl of our chief" Post
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