The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-08-27
Civil War Stories


jor. land vet in the period covered by
my business career three Presidents Of
| the United States have been assassl-
mated. l remember the incidents ass0-
| GATED with the assassination of Lin
coin as clearly as those related TO the
assassination of Mckinley. Whenever
| think Of Mckinley among the re-
| sponsive smiling throngs OF Buffalo |
think OF Lincoln among the soldiers
and the people after the fall of Rich
mond
That was period of wild excite
ment, keyed everywhere to a note Of
triumph. For weeks the intense life
of the North had taken on new phase.
The elimination of Sherman's march
to the sea, the presence of the Presi
max in the drama OF war. The bull
letins from Petersburg that went to
| the country as the contest narrowed
down toward the 1st Of April, 1855,
were signed by A. Lincoln. The telc-
graph system then was not what il is
now, and news of vital Importance Of
| ten came first to Governors or to mill
tary commanders.
Il remember one quiet Sunday after
noon In Columbus, Ohio, where there
were no Sunday papers coming from
any quarter and where the two daily
newspaper Offices were closed, that
group Of distinguished men. including
Judge of the Supreme Court, bank
er. and members Of the Legislature,
walked through the silent corridors of
the State capitol seeking news at the
| Governors office. The doors We're
closed and they were not opened at
knock or signal, but as the gentlemen
were going out disappointed, they met
bluff old Governor Brough in the hall.
''He was imperturbability itself. His
face showed no excitement or emotion.
The Judge asked him If there was any
news from Grant He looked over the
group quietly, and then said: 4 have a
confidential message from General
Grant I give it to you under pledge
of secrecy. General Lee has surren-
dered.' Instantly every member of
that group threw his hat high to the
ceiling, yelled like an Indian, and start
ed at full run for the street. Bare
headed, they went down the walk lead
ing TO High street. shouting the conf
Dental message from Grant that Lee
had surrendered. In five minutes the
| city was in an uproar.
| That night q crowd of thousands
gathered in the vicinity of Capitol
square and stood in the rain while
Governor Brough told them of the
news from the front. He stood near a
street lamp, the light Illuminating his
massive bald head, on the top OF which
the rain drops were pattering and
splashing. Some one said: Put OH your
hat, Governor; put on your hat In
his deep round voice he said: i will
not put on my hat ! stand uncovered
in the presence Of the great victory
and will not put on my hat
Then came almost a week of such
rejoicing as the country had never ex-
perienced before. This high tide of ex-
ultation swept the people forward to
the 14th Of April when throughout the
North great meetings were held in
churches, in the open air. in public
buildings, all the Unionists everywhere.
in the army and in civil life, joining in
prayers Of thanksgiving and IN songs
and hymns of rejoicing. When this tide
had reached its highest, Lincoln was
shot by an assassin and there was a
| quick ebb to the lowest flow.
AT that time the government and
the military authorities practically
| controlled the wires from Washington
The news of the tragedy at Ford's
larger cities. 1t came TO the others
and the country at large with the death
| OF the President early the next morn
ing and there was In truth wailing
| throughout the land 1t was a new
| experience. 1t was terrifying blow.
but ii is well to remember that at that
| time no one pretended that the assassi-
nation of the President was not an act
of war. All the enginery of the gov
eminent, all the police power of civil
life, all the energy of the people at
large was turned To the pursuit, cap
ture, and punishment of the consplra-
tors and assassins. When the assassin
was shot and his accomplices capsured
the people breathed more freely and
they grieved as they never had grieved
| before
After the funeral train left Wash
| ington the stolid officers acting as
guard of honor and as masters of cere-
monies, who had come many of them
| fresh from the greatest battles OF his
| tory, stood amazed at the acres of peo-
pie that crowded toward the railroads
and concentrated wherever the train
stopped There is in my mind pic
| ture of General Hooker as he strobe
with majestic step at the head of the
funeral procession as it entered the
| Capitol square at Columbus. Erect.
picturesque, and dramatic he was more
the ideal soldier OH that day than he
was even at the battle OF lookout
Mountain. As his eyes went to the
right hand and to the left and i'm front
of him and he saw everywhere solid
masses Of people new light came 10
his face, and he muttered: Wonderful.
wonderful; the love Of the people Is
wonderful"
There was not such trust then as
there Is now Thousands OF armed
enemies were still i'm the field. The
fate Of the government was still IN the
balance. There were plotters and trail
| tors watching from Washington and
elsewhere every move Of the authori-
| ties and every demonstration OF the
people. At the inaugural ceremonies
In March Vice President Johnson had
failed to meet the expectations OF the
people. There were many who feared
that he would fail them I'm the hour of
| their greatest trial But Immediately
k, al,