Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-02-14
A Messenger From
President Lincoln
BY DANIEL TRUMAN

the north IN washington / was asEe<
TO carry a message by the president {,
New York
Here Is letter" he said, (which
would Ike you to take TO the governor
~ Nes. York. or If you can't se
through ~ New York aud can 10 K
Harrisburg deliver it to the governor
OF Pennsylvania. believe there art
more militia ready to come from New
York than anywhere else: therefore
prefer ihat YOU should go there. The
letter gives the appalling condition OF
things here, and. coming from me. il
would never do for il 10 fall into the
hands ~ he sccessionists. I mus,
Therefore a>6 you To protect il with
your life "nd If taken by southern
sympath.-,-> destroy it II possible
Mr. I'''>i'lept." 7 said. Il shall car.
~ ont t.'vi order tn the best Of my
ability
l succeeded in getting train that
took me 10 Baltimore and, not being
known ia any way connected With the
government. had no trouble in getting
through the city. 1t was at Havre de
Grace that met with danger. The
secessivni>lS had burned the railway
bridge ., er tue Susquehanna river. and
there Was 10 way OF getting across ex-
sept In rOwboats.
There was q secret patrol by seces-
Sionists on both shores who made IL
their business to see that no one in the
interest Of the government got across.
tA no
the black Republican government" as
IT was then called, 1 walked up and
down the southern bank OF the river.
ostensioly watching for those who
were on busin IS for the troops trying
to make their way 20 Washington. See
Ing boat coming. l called upon sew
eral men OF the volunteer patrol, say
Ing: Here comes boat with several
men in it. The one in the stern with
a silk hat on looks like railway off
cial know and a northern man. He
may be working to open the road
Let's see"
We met the boat when II landed. and
Straightway accused the man i had
mentioned of being an assistant super
lntendent OF the railroad. He denied |
the charge. but l said l knew him TO |
be what | stated and proposed to my |
hackers that we take him back and /
put him ashore on the northern side. |
i was So earnest and positive in the |
matter that those about me were ready |
to do anything i suggested, and. al |
lowing the Others to land. we got into |
the boat and pulled for the northern |
shore. On arriving there / jumped out |
and told the others 10 hold the man till /
could find some OF our patrolmen
to take charge Of and investigate him.
ran up the bank. looked about me.
then. as though saw what ] was aft
er. walked rapidly away from the riv-
er. That was the last the boats own
er or the poor fellow had used to gain
n safe passage for myself ever saw of
me.
succeeded in getting train north
ward. reached Philadelphia without
further delay and. going to the general
superintendent OF the road and show.
ing him my credentials, secured A spe-
cial locomotive TO hurry me 10 New
ork Fortunately the governor was
IN that city on my arrival, and l lost
no time in handing him Mr. LincOln's
letter.
1t was the first intimation he had had
as TO how dangerous was the situation
az Washington. Before / left him he
teie-rIphed TO the governor OF Massa-
who. he understood, had a
regiment waiting for orders to depart.
Then he got into telegraphic commu-
nlcatiOn with railroad men to the
southwark where the wires had not
been cut and received their REPORTS as
to what chance there was for trOops to
get through. The next thing he did
was 10 write Il reply TO the letter
had borne. charging me TO deliver it
Ia the president.
MY main dread on my return was lest
Should meet some of the patrolmen I
Dad fooled on my nOrthward passage
Ut ltAvre de Grace. and so / did. I
nired HAN 10 row me across and on
nearing the southern shore saw one Of
the men feared walking toward the
point my boat was making for l hoped
he wouldn't remember me, but he did.
See here. he said. what did you
mean by leaving us as you did the 9th
er day: ! believe you're a black Re
publican hireling"
Almost before he had got the last
word out OF his mouth i raised heavy
cane ! had provided myself with Yor
such an emergency and brought It down
SO heavily On his bead that he dropped.
DIDN'T wait to be mterrogated by
any one else, but walked 40 the edge of
some timber and when reached il ran
ike deer.
reached Washington without fur
Their adventure and was taken I'm Inv
kla I'd