The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-24

For something that you didn't learn
In your old copy book.
| The world will cheer with one accord
That virtue Is its own reward.
| Triumphant in the end.
Do not explore through statesmen's lore
But pass out freely. Ger and Ger.
The precepts of our youths.
And learn them all by heart.
They'll make a hit Be wise, my son,
But do not be 800 s Washington star.
The First Enlisted Union Man.
A contest for the honor of being the
first man to enlist in the army of the
north during the Civil war has been III
progress in congress and in the war
department bureaus between William
NJ. De Hart, of Logansport, Ind, ana
| Charles Franklin Rand, of Washing
ton. both doctors. The claims OF De
Hart have been in the hands OF Sena-
tor Albert ]. Beveridge and Congress
\ man Frederick Lands. His cham
pions have been fighting to gain for
the Logansport man an honor that has
already been bestowed upon the
Washington man by act of Congress.
They are fighting to secure Tor In
diana an honor which they claim mas
been wrongly appropriated, by act OF
the legislature at Albany, as preroga-
tive of the state of New York.
Within an hour after the news or
| the fall of Fort Sumter had been fash
ed over the wires, De Hart had enroll
| ed himself the first, as he believes, of
an army that, all told, subsequently
consisted of 2,77S,304 men. The rec
ords OF congress and the records of
New York state, however, declare
Rand to have been the first. These
same records also show Rand enlisted
two days after De Hart. Documents
sent to Washington attest the enlist
ment of De Hart at o'clock, April ID,
1851. The honorS Rand has been CIV
en- were based on official records
showing he enlisted April 18TH ana
was mustered In May 10, 1851. Mean
while, De Hart, according to his sup
front arriving in time to participate in
the first battle of the Civil war-at
Philippi, June 3rd.
De Harris documents indicate he en-
listed two days before Lincoln's call
for $4,000 troops Rand's claim is
simply to have been 'the first man to
volunteer after Lincoln's CALL" and
this honor awarded him by congress,
it is claimed makes no recognition of
several Indiana men who. seeing the
nations peril, volunteered before the
call was issued. In Albany's state
house Rands picture is hung. with a
record of his history as the first vol
unteer among the 44S,S50 men the
state sent to the war. Honors have
been showered upon Rand by Eng
land, Russia, Germany, France, Persia.
d.
Japan. The war department has CIV
en- him a large pension; the senate
records devote six pages to tribute
to his services; and lot in Arlington
cemetery, Washington, has been pre-
scented to him to shelter his remains
when taps" sounds. De Hart does
not seek to disparage one triumph OF
Rand, but demands recognition as the
first volunteer of the northern army
A. R. Keesling in Leslie's Weekly.
Did He Plan to Assassinate LincOln?.
In Harpers for June, Col. w. H.
Crook, who was Lincoln's personal body
guard tells how a mysterious stranger
whom he believes to have been Surrat
attempted to reach President Lincoln at
City Point.
mot long before the final assault up
on Petersburg" says Col. Crook, "a
curious incident happened. A man
came on board the River Queen and
asked Captain Bradford If he could see
the president. He was referred to me.
Mr.. Lincoln instructed me not to adj
NIT any one but General Grant or Ad-
miral Porter, so I told the man that the
president was not to be seen. The visi-
tor became very much excited. He said
that he had rendered Mr.. Lincoln valu-
able services in Illinois during his cam
paign for the presidency, and had spent
large sums of money. He was in trou-
BILE; he must see the president He
protested that he was known to Mr..
Lincoln personally. 1 asked his name. |
At first he refused to give it. but final
al said that it was Smith and that he
lived near Mr.. Lincoln's home in Hill |
nois.
II went to the president and carried
Smiths message. Mr.. Lincoln laughed
at first. Smith is. of course, an uncom- |
mon name Then he became serious |
If what he says is true, would know |
him. But 1 do not. The man is an i'm |
poster, and 1 won't see him.
1T went back to Smith with the pres
ident's answer. The man was very |
much disturbed, and again begged to |
be allowed to see him. When that fall |
ed he tried to bride me to take him to |
Mr.. Lincoln. 1 ordered him to leave the |
boat at once and when he delayed told |
him I would have him arrested if he |
did not He turned to Captain Bradford |
and said defiantly If Mr.. Lincoln does |
not know me now, he will know me |
damned soon after he does see me- He |
went on shore, and the moment after |
he had crossed the gangplank he dis |
appeared. 1 watched him, but could not |
see where he had gone.
After the death of Mr.. Lincoln, every |
one was anxious to discover the ac- |
completes of the murderer. I called at |
tention to this man Smith who had |
tried so hard to be admitted to Lincoln's |
presence at City Point. 1t was known
that surrat had been at City Point at
that time, and was requested to visit |
Surrat and see if I could Identify him
as Smith I went to court. and Taddie
went with me. had seen Surrat before
the war; we had lived in the CAME coun-
ty in Maryland. I think Smith and
Surrat were the same man. 1t was i'm
possible for me to be absolutely sure.
For Smith was ragged and dirty and
very much sunburnt; he looked like a
tramp. While Surrat at the time I
saw him, looked like a very sick man,
pale and emaciated. In every other re-
spect they looked alike. The difference
in appearance might easily have been
brought about by circumstances or by a