The state herald., 1912-02-09


tosraph Taken a Few Years Before
His Death.
ally: TT does not appear from the
official records of the department
that President Lincoln ever furnished
substitute" Another informed me
that Abraham Lincoln was not liable
to draft" fact of which was al
ready well aware. Had not such been
the case the employment of substi-
tute would have lost all Significance.
But personal search through the
official records of the Civil war
brought to light a reference to "Abra-
ham Lincoln, principal, and John Sta
pies, recruit, both of the District OF
Columbia" And on another page ap-
peared an entry to the effect that Lin
coin wished a representative recruit.
and same was assigned as private to
Company II of the Second regiment.
d. C. infantry. With these entries as
base Of operations It became pos
sible to trace the substitute, and the
discovery was made that John S. Sta
pies was buried in Stroudsburg, Pa.
Further details were furnished by Mr..
John w. Burnett OF Massachusetts,.
a comrade Of Staples, in the following
letter:
Il well recall the military career OF
J. s. Staples OF my regiment The
awful losses OF the Union army. east
and west. were weighing heavily on
dear Lincoln. and he, with others in
public life. were considering the de-
STABILITY of having personal repre-
sentatives in the field for those not
eligible for service at all. According
to my recollection. In the fall or late
summer of 1864 Mr.. Lincoln had a
committee Of citizens OF the District
of Columbia search for as perfect n
specimen OF physical manhood as
could be found to become his repre-
sentative recruit. This committee, or
some Of them, met my dear comrade
tStaples) on the streets OF George
town. and seeing his superbly com
pact form. and being at once satisfied
that he was the man worthy TO be
Lincolns representative In the army.
they made proposition to him. and
the loyal boy-for he was but boy
at once signiiied his desire to fill the
honorable position. He was soon aft
erward introduced to President Lin
coin. and the latter gladly chose him
as his Representatives"
Although the communication re-
celved from Mr.. Burnett was as con.
vincing as one could wish. yet II was
clear that without governmental sane
ton there still would remain doubling
Thomases who would dispute the
claim made In behalf OF the dead sol.
der. Therefore. the facts In the case
were laid before the federal authori-
ties. and received from the office OF
the commissioner of pension at Wash
ington an official statement confirming
the entire tradition concerning Lin.
coin and his substitute. This docu.
mcnt reads as follows;
Department OF the Interior,
Bureau Of Pensions
Washington. May II. 1910.
John Summcrheld Staples. residing
at Stroudsburg. Pa, filed an applica.
ton for pension in 1889. stating that
In the Civil war ho had served in Com
pany c. One Hundred and Seventy.
sixth Pennsylvania militia, and after.
wards In Company II, Second District
OF Columbia Infantry. and that in his
second enlistment he was n substitute
for President Lincoln
'Thc records show that said soldier
enlisted November .. 1869. IN Com.
pnny q, one Hundred and Seventy.
sixth Pennsylvania drafted militia.
that he was honornbly discharged
May 8. 1868. and that he afterwnrd
enlisted April 3. 1864. In Company n.
Second District OF Columbia yolun.
toorR. from which hc was honorably
discharged at Alexandria. Va. Sop.
tombcr ~. 1866, and the record also
show that In this last service he was
enrolled as representative recruit
for Abraham Lincoln. whp was no,
liable TO draft
1T In shown by the papers ON fle
In this case that during tho war Preni.
dent Lincoln decided that he would
place In the army nubBtitute TO tho
crodlt Of the District Of Columbia, and
that he communicated hla douiro to do
30 TO tho provost marshal Of the dis
trlct. with request that ho select tho
person who should ba placed In the
service, and thnt the provost marshal
thon uont for Noble D. Larnor. then n
prominent citizen Of this city. and
stated TO him tho presidents wiahoH,
aud MIR iarner aftorward succeeded
In getting the substitute In the person