Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-12-31


ignate us a. the tsSacred Three We
made carbon copies Of all messages re-
ceiyed addressed to the various officers OF
the government, both civil and military.
and placed these COPIES in q drawer in
what we called the s'cipher desk" The
contents q this drawer were for Mr.. Lin
coins special information. The messages
were placod IN II In the order Of their re-
ception, aud he was quite careful to keep
them 30. II was bis habit to read them
from the top down and when he came to
those which he had already read one
morning soon after my arrival. with 4
smue, be said, sWell, / guess have got
down 10 the raisins.'' As / seemed in
doubt as 10 " hat that might mean, he ex-
planned that little girl, having eaten
imprndenkly both in quantity and quail
tys beginning with lot Of raisins, was
made quite IN and could only find relief
In the process which a sick stomach is
apt to compel. After an exhausting
siege, she gave an exclamation OF satisfac-
ton that the end OF her trouble was near,
for she had got down to the raisins.
suppose have heard Mr.. Lincoln use the
expression a dozen times at least when be
had finished reading the new messages in
bis drawer and had reached those he had
read before.
On the evening OF Thursday, the four
teenth OF February, 1861, Mr.. Lincoln ar
rived in the city OF Pittshurg on his
way TO Washington as president ELECT OF
the United States. The train on which
be was coming was detained by a deraiIed
freight train not far west Of Pittsburg.
was Thea railway agent at Manchester,
which later became annexed to Allegheny
City, and both are now q part Of the great
"lron City," I was busiiy engaged while
waiting for the incoming train. in send
ing and receiving railway messages rela-
tive to its delay and progress. Among
other distinguished persons waiting in
the railway telegraph office was General
James s. Negley, then in command Of the
"Duquesae Greys," the pride OF Pitts
burg, who we're there to serve as q guard
Of honor to the great man toward whom
all eyes were already looking TO guide our
country through " hat was beginning to
Re we'll recognized a. q great peril-but
how greet probably no one then living
realized. While 1 was working the teie-
graph line, the gallant general thanked
me for information which 1 gave him as
to the time the train might be expected.
As II was about to leave, perceiving Mr..
Lincoln standing alone just inside bis
car, and being privileged by reason OF my
railway service, / passed through the
crowd and into the car to pay my respects
to him. His hearty grasp and polite
bow, from his towering height. deeply
impressed me, by a. l was. This was
the flrst time ! ever saw Mr.. Lincoln,
and had then no thought that ! should
ever have any other occasion to speak to
him, even 30 much ~ the "God bless
you, SIR which 1 then uttered.
I was subsequently, called 10 Washing
ton and assigned to duty as telegraph ep-
orator and cipher clerk in the telegraph
Office IN the War Department building.
A room next to the private ofIice Of Ed
win NJ. Stanton, then secretary Of Ar,
was used ne q record room by him, and
especially for the accommodating telegram
books and records OF the military tele-
graph. In this room there stood q large
black walnut double table, having writing
space and drawers on each side, and dur
ing the summer and fall Of 1853, covering
the Gettysburg and vicksburg campaigns,
and the important events following them.
| was the only continuous occupant OF
this room and Mr.. Lincoln very often sat
opposite me at this table. II was to this
room that he was accustomed to come In
order to be near the telegraph and that
rid Of bic prosecutors" most Of whom. a.
be expressed il, only wanted to see him q
minute, which meant that II be could
hear and decide the merits Of each case
presented IN favor Of the prosecutor in q
minute then that time would be SUM-
cient but that It did not often happen
that way. He spent so much of his time
in this room that Il was called the ''pres-
dents ROOM" Adjoining II on the or
posite side from the secrefary's room was
the ofics OF the superintendent OF milf
tary telegraph. then Major, now General,
Eckert, and in this room most Of our CT
pher work as done. Further on was the
: library Of the War Department, a more
spacious apartment, which was occupied
BY the operators, the wires, the switch
board and the operating tables. Compar-
atively few days passed from the fall OF
1862 till the day Of his death that Mr..
: Lincoln did not visit this Office at least
: once and not unfrequently several times.
: He was often there very early in the
morning and still more frequently late al
= night. One OF the first evidences that
observed OF his sense OF humor in trifies
: that would not amuse most men occurred
soon after arrived when / was on night
! duty. He had left me alone in the ofiics
near midnight to go to the White House.
: Soon after light the next morning, long
: before anyone else was on duty, he came
: in to learn the latest news from the army,
and finding me sitting at my desk Ia ex'
/ actly the same position he had left me
the night before, he said with smile a
> he opened the drawer in which we kept
all dispatches for his inspection, thav'
4 you been sitting right there all night7"
On the 14th Of June, 1858, information
8 OF an extensive movement Of the rebe
J army toward Maryland and Pennsylvania
: was received which proved to be an At
4 tempt 10 transfer the battle ground Of thu
: war from Southern to Northern soil and
! which eliminated in the great battle o.
4 Gettysburg. On that day, Mr.. Lincoln
!, sent TO General Schenck then in command
4 Of the middle division, with headquarterI
q At Baltimore. the following message:-
9 sect Milroy from Winchester to Harper
; Ferry. He win be gobbled up II be re
4 mains, IL he is not already past saliva
). ffor - General Schenck said In reply -