Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-11

was death. Between the passing Of sem
tence and the execution Denny was given
several days in which to communicate with
his parents. When his letter reached his
Vermont home, Blossom, his sister, secured
possession of II, Travelled with it to Wash
ington and presented It to President Lin
coin. with the simple request, II want my
brother" The great heart OF Lincoln was
moved by Blossom and Denny's letter, and
the condemned soldier was quickly par
doned and ordered to accompany his sister
to the family home.
Divested Of the garb of fiction the incl
dent is equally impressive as an illustration
OF the kindly. fatherly spirit Of Abraham
Lincoln in public and private life. The Incl
dent as it actually occurred is related in a
book just published by L. e. Chlttenden,
register OF the treasury from 1881 to 1866. a
close friend of the president, and one who
writes from personal knowledge.
1t was a dark September morning In 1861
the author relates, that he was waited on
at his Washington office by a party Of
soldiers. They belonged to the Third Yer
mont regiment, then stationed at the chain
bridge, some three miles above George
town. One of their number, a youth of q,
mad fallen asleep at his post as sentinel.
A hardy boy, not as yet Injured to military
life. he had found it impossible to keep
awake for two nights in succession. He
had been found by tine relief sound asleep,
had been convicted by a court-martia and
sentenced to be shot.
with tears in their eyes, his comrades
pleaded with Mr.. Chittenden to use his in
fluence and save the boys life.
He's as good a boy as there is in the
army" said their leader, "and he is not
to blame Scott had never before been up
all night in his life. He had been "ali beat
out by his first experience. The second
night he had succumbed to sheer physical
exhaustion.
Mr.. Chittenden's heart was touched. H e
determined to put young Scott in personal
touch with President Lincoln. BY using
all his Influence he succeeded.
This is how Scott himself told the story
of the interview:
The president was the kindest man
had ever seen. 1 knew him at once by a
Lincoln medal / had long worn. 1 was
scared at first, for I had never before talked
with a great man. But Mr.. Lincoln wat
so easy with me-, so gentle, that I soor
forgot my fright. He asked me all about
NO pOOpio OF hOmc, the nclHnDOIS, Ine
farm and where / went to school, and who
my schoolmates were. Then he asked me
about my mother, and how she looked, ant
I was glad l could take her photograph
from my bosom and show it to him. HI
said how thankful I ought to be that M
mother still lived. and how. IL he was il
my place, he would try to make her &
proud mother and never cause her a sor
t row or tear. l cannot remember it all
/, but every word was so kind.
He said nothing yet obtu hat dread.
fult next morning. l thought il must bt
that he was so kind hearted that he didn't
like to speak of 1t. But why did he say
so much about my mother, and my no
causing her a sorrow or a tear, when
knew that ] must die the next morning
But l suppose that was something tina
would have to go unexplained, and so
determined to brace up and tell him tina
1 did not feel q bit guilty, and ask hin
wouldn't he fix 1t so that the firing part!
d would not be from our regiment! Tha
g was going to be the hardest of ALTO di
e by the hands of my comrades.
Just as I was going to ask him thi
favor he stood up, and says to MEM.
boy, stand up here and look me in tn
face I did as he babe me. My boy h
said, you are not going to be shot tomor
a row. / believe you when you tell me tina
d you could not keep awake. 1 am going (
trust you and send you back to your regi
Il ment. But l have been put to a great des
Of trouble on your account. / have com
up here from Washington, when have go
a great deal to do, and what l want I
know is, How are you going to pay m
,r bil?'
a There was a big lump in my throat.
q aa.,Il lawaIr n-,aIr 7 A.l "A, 80 ID.
n you see, and had kind of got used to think
.e ing that way. To have it all changed l
le a minute But l got it crowded down an
managed TO say
al am grateful, Mr.. Lincoln. l hope
am as grateful as ever a man can be I
you for saving my life. But IL comes upo
lie me sudden and unexpected like. l didn
lie lay out for it at all. But there is som
10 way for me to pay you, and I will find
e out after a little. There is the bounty 1
Of the savings bank. l guess we could borro'
l. some money on the mortgage of the farm
II There was my pay, which was something
and If he would wait until pay day I wa
sure the boys would help, so i thought "
could make It up II it wasn't more tina
five or six hundred dollars But It is
n great deal more than that he said. The
l said ! didn't just see how. but l was SUI
l would find some way-if l lived.
"Theh Mr.. Lincoln put his hands on m
shoulders and looked into my face as If h
N was sorry, and said:-'My boy, my bill
a very large one. Your friends cannot pa
it, nor the bounty, nor the farm, nor a
a your comrades! There is only one man
as all the world who can pay 1t, and his nam
n is William Scott! II from this day WilliaI
at Scott does his duty, so that, II l was theI
n when he comes to die, he can look me
v the face as he does now, and say. L has
kept my promise, and l have done m
duty as a soldier, then my debt will /
SIS paid. Will you make that promise and II
ty TO keep itT"