Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-02-11
OF
ABRAHAM lincoln
Col. Crosley Writes Interestingly Of
Incidents in Great Mans
Life.

III Eds. Freeman Tribune: The one
Hundred and fourth anniversary of
1 the birth Of the immortal Lincoln
calls UP memories Of the days when
II was young man in the full flush
land vigor OF health. | may, there
fore, be pardoned for INDUCING in
some "reminiscences of those early
days, in the hope that they may
| contribute to some extent at least
to the interest which all your read
ers must feel in anything that per-
tains to personal knowledge-on
the part of those still living-of
events and incidents connected
with the life of Mr.. Lincoln.
! had reached my majority on
March 4, 1860, and had therefore
been legally entitled to vote for
eight months prior to the presiden-
tial election of that year, but that
was my first opportunity to cast my
vote. Looking back over the long
years that have elapsed, / recall the
feeling Of pride and satisfaction
which I felt upon approaching the
polls and-for the first time-exer-
cising the high privilege of voting
the ticket of the party which repre-
sented my political views. l was an
ardent Republican and great adj
mirer of Mr.. Lincoln, and was glad
of the opportunity to give him my
vote. / am very thankful that I
had attained to years of manhood,
and to have lived and been contem-
porary with the men who were the
devoted followers of Mr.. Lincoln at
that time, and during the momen-
tous years that followed. / was then
a citizen of Nevada, Story county,
Iowa, and it was there-only very
short time after President Lincoln
was inaugurated and had issued his
first call for troops to defend the
Union-that / enlisted as soldier
to serve during the war.
At the next presidential election
j was on duty with my regiment in
the field, and had the privilege OF
casting my vote for President Lin
coins reelection, commissioner
from each Of the loyal states having
been sent to take the votes of the
Union soldiers. 1t thus came about
that both my first and second vote
was for Mr.. Lincoln.
Now that I am In reminiscent
mood, am impelled to relate an in
cident or two connected with my
youthful days, which seem pertinent
to the subject in hand. During the
years 1S47-S-9, my father kept the
principal hotel-or tavern as it was
then called--in the town of Meta
mora, the county seat of Woodford
county. Illinois. In those days it
was the custom of the ablest lawyers
to attend the sessions of the courts
in their respective judicial districts.
Woodford county was included in
the district in which Mr.. Lincoln
had an extensive practice, and l
think he was present at every ses-
sion of the court while our family
lived in Metamora, and he was al
oct Of f.th AVG co
| was then at just the right age tol
be most strongly impressed with his
remarkable appearance and person
ality. / have never seen any one
who at once made such a deep and
indelible impression upon me. and
the more / saw Of him the deeper
that impression became. 1t is not,
therefore. strange that l can now re-
member the expression of his coun-
tenance and the tones of his voice as
distinctly as though I had seen him
but yesterday. He was always kind
to children. Upon one occasion-a
very memorable one for mel had
timidly approached him when my
father was standing near, and was
asking him to tell me about some
thing | was anxious to know. He
replied very kindly and / thanked
him, but my father reproved me for
my forwardness. | can never forget
the kind and considerable manner in
which the great man relieved my
embarrassment by saying to my
father, The boy is not impertinent. !
his desire for information is COM
mendable." Thus encouraged. en-
braced every opportunity to see and
hear him. ] once went TO the court |
room and heard the concluding por-
ton of his argument to the jury.
General Shields. Mexican war
hero, was a guest at the tavern on