Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-05-30

first inquiry in the morning and
throughout the day from the occupants
Of the cots was: How is Houghton?
VIII he pull through? 7
st happened that my injury necessi-
tated lying on my left side, and so.
separated, as our cots were, by little
more than an arms length, was priv
LEGGED to watch, to study. to pity and
to love this man. On the night Of
April there came serious crisis in
Houghton's case through secondary
hemorrhage of an artery of the ampu-
tated limb. Surgeons and nurses
worked until daylight to assuage the
flowing lifeblood All in the ward
were deeply interested, and there was
many a 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 yet 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 Statesr To
myself and probably to most of us
this was unexpected, for we had not
known that President Lincoln had been
visiting 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, Ill fitting
and very dusty; his hat was an inn
mensely exaggerated type of the
stovepipe variety, his neckwear was
awry, and his face showed pressing
need of the services of a barber. In
short, his whole appearance seemed to
Justify the caricaturists Of those days
in their worst cartoons.
sUnescorted, except by the surgeon,
the president, bowling his tall form to
enter the low doorway, stepped in,
turned step or two to the right and,
tenderly placing his hand on Hough-
tons forehead, stood for an instant
looking into his face; then, bending
down to the low cot as mother would
to her child, he kissed Houghton's
white cheek.
''In voice so tender and so low that
only my near proximity enabled me to
hear, he began to talk to him, telling
him how he had heard from DR.. Nc
Donald all the story of his bravery in
battle, his heroic fight for life and
quiet cheerfulness in hospital and of
the sad happening of the night.
poor Houghton could only reply
with faint smiles and whispers that
were too low to reach my ears, but Mr..
Lincoln heard, and smile came to his
grave face. Turning to the surgeon,
the president asked to be shown the
majors wounds. especially the ampu-
tated limb DR.. Mcdonald tried to
dissuade him BIZ saying the sight, es-
pecially after what had just taken
place. would lie too shocking, but the
president insisted, turned down the
light coverings and took a hasty look.
Strengthening up. with deep groan of
pain. and throwing mp beth his long
arms, he cried CIT. '@h this awful,
awful war; Thea, bending again to
Houghton. with The tears cutting wide
furrcws down his dust stained cheeks
and With great eobs shaking him.
he exclaimed: Poor boy. Poor boy.
You must liTel You mustr This time
the majors whispered answer, I in
tend to. sir was just audible. (And
here, let me say in parenthesis, he did
live many long and useful years)
With a tender parting hand stroke and
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 warm hand clasp and a simple,
kind, fatherly word for each one. Then
he passed out. But for US it was a diff
ferent place. We had seen there the
soul of our chief wv Washington Post.
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