Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-02-12
GL|MPSESO LINCOLN
Tributes 10 the Martyr Presidents
Character and Leadership.
HOW he PARD0NED A SOLDIER

nsi"-Miraeis Of His Style In Speech
and Writins-Homass Of the People
at His Funeral.
Within q few days the formal cele-
bration Vt the one huDdredth anniver-
sary OF Abraham Iincoln's birth will
be observed. Many stories are being
told about the martyr president and
tributes paid to his character.
l. Z. Chittenden. who was register
Of the treasury from 1851 10 1865 and
. personal friend Of Abraham Lincoln.
now for the first. time tells In full the
story Of Lincoln and the Sleeping
Sentinel" published by Harper &
Bros. which has hitherto been known
only In Its bare outline. He speaks as
one having authority. and with Justice.
for he bore an important share In the
episode.
II was on a dark September morn
Ing in 1851. he informs us, that he was
waited on at his Washington Office by
q party Of soldiers. They belonged to
the Third Vermont regiment. then sta
toned at the Chain bridge. some three
miles above Georgetown. One OF their
number, a youth Of twenty-one. had
fallen asleep at his post as sentinel.
A hardy boy. not as yet Injured TO MILL
tary life. be had found II impossible
to keep awake for two nights In sue.
cession. He had been found by the
relief sound asleep. had been convicted
by a court martial and sentenced TO BE-
shot. With tears IN their eyes, his
comrades pleaded with Mr.. Chittendcn
10 use his influence and save the boys
life.
Hes as good boy as there is in
| the army" said the leader. and he Is
not to blame" Scott had never before
been up all night In his life. He had
been "all beat out" by his first expe.
rience The second night he had sue.
cumbed TO sheer physical exhaustion.
Mr.. Chittenden's heart was touched
lie determined to put young Scott IN
personal touch with President Lincoln
BY using all his influence he succeeded
This Is how Scott himself told ths
story of the interview:
The president WAS the k,ndes. man
had ever seen. ! knew him at once by {
Lincoln medal I had long worn. wal
scared al hrst. for ! had never befor'
talked with 4 great man. But Mr.. Lin
coin was - easy with me. so gentle, thai
noon forgot my fright lie asked me nj
about the people at home. tho neighbors
the farm and where l went to school ant
| who my Echcolnstes were. Then he asket
me about mother and how she looked. ant
! I wGs glad could take her photograp i
! from my bosom and show Il to him. III
said how thankful l ought to be that m,
mother SIN lived and how. II he was IL
nv place. he would try to make her I
proud mother and never cause her d sor
row or tear. ! cannot remember It all
but every word was 70 kind,
He had said nothing yet about tina
dreadful next morning. ! thought Il mus
be that he WAS 50 kind hearted that h
| didn't like to speak OF II. But why dix
| he say 20 much about my mother and m!
not causing her a sorrow or a tear whe,
knew that ! must die the next morn
ing But supposed that was something
that would have TO 60 unexplained, ant
so J determined to brace w ard toll hin
him wouldn't he fiX IL AZ that the frini
party would not I've from our regiment
That was going to be the hardest of all
TO Gle by the hands OF my comrades.
Just as was going 10 ask him thi
favor he stood up. and he says 10 me
My boy. stand up here ana look me I,
tho face" l did as he bade me. M
boy" he said. you are not going 10 h
shot tomorrow. ! believe you. when yo'
L.
! am going to trust you and send yo
back to your regiment. But have bee
put TO . great deal OF trouble on your &C
count have had to come up here fror
Washington when have got great dea
70 do. and what I want TO know Is no,
you are going to pay my bill"
There was q big lump in my. throat
! could scarcely speak. had expected I
die. you see, and haA Aind Of got used I
thinking that way. To have 1t all change
In . minute. But got II crowded dow
and managed 10 say:
Il am grateful. Mr.. Lincoln. I hop.
, am as grateful as ever n man can he I
you for saving my NE. But It comes upo
me sudden and unexpected like. didn'
lay out tor II at all. But there Is som
way for me TO pay you. and l will and
out after little. There is the bounty /!
the savings bank. l guess we could Dor
row some money on the mortgage OF tn
farm. There was my pay. which wa
something. and II he would wait until pa
day / was sure the boys would help, 8
thought we could make Il up X II WASH
more than $500 or $780,
But II Is a great deal more than that.
, he said.
Then I said I didn't Just see how. but
was sure l would find some way-if
lived.
, Then Mr.. Lincoln put his hands on m
shoulders and looked into my face as
he was sorry and said: my boy, my bi
, IL \ very large one. Your friends canno
pay II nor your bounty. nor the farm
! nor all your comrades. There IL only on
man in all the world who can pay It. an
his name Is william Scott II. from thi
| day William Scott does his duty. 30 thai
II were there when he comes to die. h
could look me In the face as he does nov
ard say. I have kept my promise. and
have done my duty as a soldier then m
debt will be paid. VIII you make tina
promise and try to keep tt?'
Scott did promise and did keep hi
promise. He soon earned the reputa
ton Of being the bravest man In hi
regiment, the faithfulest and the kind
est. II any man were needed for tn
most exposed service. Scott was a
ways eager TO be called upon. II an,
,ther man were I'm trouble. Scott wa
his good Samaritan. II any soldie
were sick. Scott was his willing nurse
He was ready to volunteer for an
', extra service or labor. Nevertheless
he steadily refused promotion. sayin
that he had done nothing ia deserve II
The end came IN March. 1862. nea