The National tribune., 1908-07-30
ANOTHER LINCOLN STORY.
An Sth n. Y. Cav. Boy Invited to Dinner
At the White House

Editor National Tribune: Mahlen
Shaaberss account of his personal in
terview with President Lincoln in
Washington. while the formers regi-
ment was passing through Washington
on its way to the front, leads. me to de-
scribe somewhat similar experience in
which l was personally involved in
1863, chiefly interesting as showing
Lincoln's extraordinary memory of
faces. AS a boy, little over 16. 1 re-
moved from New York State to Illinois
in 1856, with my fathers family, which
included my grandfather. Dr. Jonathan
SWEET. About three years later my
grandfather declared his intention to go
to Urbana the next day and he wished
me to accompany him. We were living
at Rantoul, Is miles north of Urbana.
His object in going was to meet Leon
ard SWEET, a lawyer of note, who was
Lincoln's law partner. Both members
of the firm We're to be there in attend
ance at court. We went to Urbana next
day, and as it was about noon when we
got there. found Leonard SWEET at a
hotel. Our interview with lawyer
SWEET was in the hotel sitting room, and
while my grandfather and the lawyer
were busy with genealogical subjects a
very tall, slim man wearing a very tall
hat entered the room and was intro
duced to us as Mr.. Lincoln Follow
ing Lincoln's entry nearly. 20 minutes
was filled with lively conversation. dur
ing which Lincoln playfully alluded to
the long line that the four of us would
make if lain end to end. Every mem
Der of the group was six feet and ov r
in hight. The above interview occurred
in 1859. I never saw Leonard SWEET
again. but did meet Lincoln in Wash
ington in 1863 under the following cir
cumstances: As a recruit for the Sth
n. Y. Cav. I Joined the regiment at
Hagarstown, Md, at about the close of
the battle of Antietam. and from that
date / was in nearly every engagement
in which the regiment was concerned.
In the cavalry fight at Stevensbnrg. Va.
Oct. IL, 1863. my horse was killed and
got out of the tangle by catching the
been killed In the fight ] was allowed
to ride this horse until we fell back
to near Washington, when il was
claimed by the company to which it be-
ionged and / was sent to dismounted
camp, where l was kept waiting nearly
received a permit one day to visit the
city,. / went in company with two
members of the Sth H. AS we were
strolling near the Capitol building we
came face to face with the President,
who stopped and greeted us, giving US
each a grasp of hand, in the meantime
inquiring the number Of our regiments.
When / told him / was a member of
the 9Th N Y, ne seemed surprised and
told me that if ] had belonged to an
Illinois regiment he would declare he
had met me before. When / told him
had once lived in Illinois and had
met him in Urbana in 1859, he grasped
my hand again. called me by name and
eagerly inquired about my grandfather.
Finally, he said he had some urgent
matters to attend to and must leave
us. He took few steps away and then
turning said, by the way, Mr.. SWEET,
/ would like to meet you again. Come
to the White House tomorrow and
dine with me. We haven't very much
to eat, but il will be a sort of a change
with you" and then he strobe hurriediy
away. ! turned to see the other two
men standing in open mouthed aston
| ishment and they congratulated me
very heartily. The next morning, early,
came an order for ne to start with a
squad going TO the front. j went to
the commander of the camp and re-
lated my interview with the President
and he laughed in my face and told me
that the various excuses men in that
camp had to offer to avoid being sent
to the front were countless. but the
absurdity of mine beat them all There
fore, with somewhat detected feelings i
left for the front, Disguised at my lack
of foresight in not having asked Lin
| coin for written order to visit the
White House as he intended / should.
| L don't believe Gen. Grant himself
would have cared to ignore it.-Joel b.
SWEET, Rochester, n. Y.