East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-02-12

Pendleton, Feb. 12.-(To the Edi-
or.)-February ~ being the anniver-
gary Of the birth of that grandest of
all Americans, Abraham Lincoln,
think It fitting to relate little Incl
dent In his life of which l was an
eye witness and which, think, was
| never in print.
The incident. as will be seen, was
highly characteristic Of the man and
took place only few miles from the
tomb Of that other grand American.
George Washington, whose birthday
also occurs in the present month. In
the early fall of 1861 following our
disastrous defeat at Bull Run, the
army of the Potomac was encamped
| in Virginia just across the river from
| Washington. The army had been re-
organized and drilled and redriIled
| by General Mcclellan until it was a
magnificent body Of soldiers SEEM
ingly invlncible.
The general had issued an order for
every regiment, every company to put
itself in "spic and span" condition for
the grandest military review ever
held on this continent. and there was
to lie present Mr.. Lincoln with his
cabinet and all their ladies, also the
! nigh officers of the army and navy.
| Foreign ambassadors and their at
taches with representatives in con-
gress and senator's, so you see 1t was
to he the biggest thing of the times,
| l,1I
respects.
Well, the day arrived and about
10000 Yankee soldiers were drawn
up In military array on the Potomac
bottoms near the end of the famous
long bridge and nearly under the
shadow of Arlington House. the after
wards famous General Robert F.. Lees
oil home.
The men, I think, were drawn up
four lines deep in company and regi-
mental order, Mt parade rest. Pres
ent.y a long cavalcade of carriages
and cavalry was observed crossing the
long bridge. As they approached our
front and passed down the line many
comments were made by the soldiers:
That's old Abe; I know him by his
length" says one. "That's Seward by
his side. See how dignified he looks"
That's Stanton with the long whis-
kers: see how ugly he looks!" and so
on.
The rear of the cavalcade was
brought up by Master Ted Lincoln I'm
a captain'es uniform. mounted on
small Shetland pony. The party
drove up near small grove of sap
lings on a rise of ground near tho
center Of the parade.
As the carriages halted little Ted
rode around to the trees and hitchinC
his pony, went to the carriage occu-
pleG by his father and mother, also
Mr.. Seward and daughter. After SOME
littIe talk. which we could not hear.
MI Lincoln arose to his feet in the
carriaEe and as his tall form drew m
clad in the conventional long frocl,
coat and stovo-pipe hat which he re-
moVe' from his head, the long pent-
up cheers from 10000 throats burst
forth which I fancy the army of the
c"ntederacy could plainly hear in
| their camps few miles back of ArI-
| ington.
! when tho cheers had subsidized Mr..
! Lincoln stepped from the corriape
| II | remember right, I'think with tho
exception Of some of the ladies' be
was t'" only one of his personal party
that lett their seats-Master Ted TAX
Ing him by the hand led him over TO
his pony. After laughing and toIl,ine,
with Tad and petring the ponv tI,e
president suddenly threw one leg over
the fonv, both feet resting on the
ground, he raised his hat and saluted
the soldiers. The effect was mighty
Hats and canteens flew into the air
ana the wells made the whole District
o1 Columbia fairly rumble.
Ihe picture was grand and humor-
oNs' The president of the United
states posing in an equestrian attitude
aStr'de of a diminutive Shetland nonv
hi'ched to sapling' 1t looked as
though the careworn president wished
10 put little cheer into the souls of
the hard-worked soldiers.
The situation even brought n broad
grin on the iron face of Stanton and
the dignified Seward laughed while
the ladies were frantically "dee-lirht-
ed'' After passing down open lines
on foot with the general and his
tlashy staff, stopping occasionally to
give the soldiers a word of cheer, the
fatherly president entered his carriage
ana the famous review was over
"A Few years later that same home,v
tatherly man stood with uncovered
mead on the battlefield of Gettysburg
ana over the dead hero's graves, many
OF whom witnessed the incident above
r'Ia'eo' pronounced the greatest eu-
logN ever uttered by man.
B. C. X.
nrnnl. vrI,;.I-,,