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


~- ~-N 1870 $3.50 - 49, @-ArA~@
continued from third page.
marking that supposed he was fire.
quently annoyed BY similar applications.
He said" Well, suppose you know
that men win stand good deal when
they are dattsred a little" / smiled
doubtfully, and he said, without waiting
for q reply, and while writing bis name
on the pictures, ~You haven't learned
thatyetl Well, You needn't remain any
longer in Ignorance Of it, because il is
So" told him I would remember 1t,
and OF course thanked him for his auto
graph.
Early IN September, 1864, M Lincoln
sent despatch to the press in relation to
military Affairs in Tennessee and Georgia,
which greatly displeased Mr.. Stanton,
who gave positive private Instructions
that the dispatches addressed to the sec
rotary Of war BY Mr.. Dana. on whom he Is
pecially relied for full information upon
many subjects not reported upon bv the
generals in the field, should be delivered
only 10 himself, and that no copv should
be placed in the drawer containing mes
sages for the presidents information.
One evening soon after I had received and
translated long and important cipher
message from MIR. Dana, addressed to Mr..
Stanton the president came in and after re-
viewing the messages In the drawer and
finding none from Mr.. Dana. from whom
be was then and always anxious to hear.
he inquired II nothing had been received
rom Mr.. Dana. / knew the occasion Of
Mr. Stanton's order and its imperative
character and could only reply negatively.
Mr. Lincoln afterwards learned Of the
secretary's order upon this subject and
how scrupulously II had been observed bv
the major and his "stan." He was AZ
first inclined to BE- dispIeased bat Mr..
Stanton assumed the responsibility and.
as believe. explained his reasons ana his
motive. At all event8 was afterwards in
formed that the president commended the
telegraph boys for observing the secre-
tary's instructions. II has sometimes
been said that Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. stan
ton were not in harmony. To the best Of
my belief, this was only true in comnara-
lively unimportant matters. It Is certain
that Mr.. Stanton did net always aun-ove
the readiness with which Mr.. Lincoln
gave out information concerning milftarv
Affairs to persons whom Mr.. Stanton con-
sidered il unsafe to have SO informed. and
that be sometimes felt impatient and an
noyed BY his telling o. trifIing stories on
grave occasions. The one occasion when 4
l remember this most clearly was at the
time IN July, 1854, when q force Of rebels
burned the bridge over GunpoWd der river
north OF baitimores captured our mail
trains and seriously threatened both Bal
timore ana Washington, but were pre-
vented nom capturing either by the !
timely arrival OF General Wright and the I
that Mr.. Lincoln made q tour of ohaerva- 1
tion to the fortiflcations to the north ana /
west Of the city, where be for the ON /
y times Think, witnessed a real battle.
though not OF very great numbers. I 1
have IN my possession the diagram which 4
ne made in our Office Immediately after
ms return to the city, showing the posi-
ton OF the different forts and where and
now tne Fkirmish took place, which he
noteu Tor the Information Of three or four
II a. Sao we're intensely interested in
learning 10 situation, and, IS far as We
coal $ tbs extent Of danger TO the civ.
Even under these circumstances. the in
evitaoie story came to his relief. ana he
told Us Of couple OF new invenfionr ~ /
which be had lately heard, one OF which
was designed to prevent hens from
scratching up garden and which con- L
sisted OF movable brace attached Ia the
hens legs and which at each scratch
moved the hen forward, and BY success
save scratches, out of the garden. ana
y hich was designated ssthe hen walker ,,
The other was 3 little trap door adjusted
under the hens nest, which. on the an
pearance OF the egg, let it fall out Of the
nen's sight and reach, the effect Of which
vas said to be that the hen would hnme-
1iately set about laying another egg; and
his much to his amusement was called
the double-back-action hen persuader. :,
For all stories Of this sort Mr.. Stanton
had little patience. But that he aDpreci-
lted both Mr.. Lincoln's greatness ana
goodness and regarded him as peculiarly
1tted for the great position that be occn-
pied, am entirely sure. / am also sure
hat, notwithstanding Mr. stanton,s Sc