Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-02-10

few remaining number OF
those who remember the early
days of the rebellion and the distract
ing political struggles of that time. Mr..
Stevens, who was first sergeant Of
Company B, One Hundred and Tween.
ty-second Illinois volunteers, recently
told me some very Interesting details
of the situation among the soldiers in
the early sixties.
During October. 1854, while waiting
for his regiment to come in from its
pursuit of General Sterling Price, he
served as adjutant at the convalescent
barracks in st. Louis. Four hundred
men were stationed there at that time,
representing many regiments and
states. About one-third of the boys
were for General Mcclellan for presi-
dent. while the remaining two-thirds
were for Mr.. Lincoln. About hun.
dred were from Illinois, which state,
owing to legislative enactment, did not
permit it's troops to vote in the field,
although many other states had made
provision to that end.
AS election day drew near the anx-
iety of the men to exercise the right Of
franchise-the right Of American citi-
zenship-became intense. Southern
sympathizers had spread report that
the government had issued an order
forbidding the furloughing of McClel.
Ian men home to vote. But the lie was
given to this report in an order from
the president directing that soldiers re-
siding in states where no provision for
voting in the field had been made
should be given furloughs home and
for length of time that would give
them ample opportunity to vote, to
vote as they pleased. and return to
their respective commands.
The result was that many soldiers
who had intended voting against Mr..
Lincoln voted for him, because he had
given them an untrammeled ballot and
had proved to them that he was not
the narrow minded partisan his enc
mics tried to make him appear.
Lieutenant Chapman Of Mr.. Stevens
regiment was In command Of the bar
racks. and when he began to consider
the matter he found that no one had
authority to Issue the furloughs that
were being asked for except General
Schoheld. and he was away after
Price and could not be reached. His
adjutant at St. Louis when approach.
ed said he could do nothing, and, al
though he had telegraphed the secre-
tary Of war In regard to the matter.
he could get no answer from him.
But some of the men knew Mr.. Lin.
coin. knew his kindly disposition and
his disregard Of red tape. and they
suggested to Lieutenant Chapman
that telegram be sent to him asking
that he relieve the situation. This
proposition. however. was not received
with much enthusiasm. Many of the
Republicans said it would be useless,
as the president could not consider
such matter unless It reached him
through the proper channel. and the
Democrats were Indifferent. saying
that they would 60 to no trouble or
expense then, but would wait until
they got a chance later. when they
would show the abolitionists whether
or not they could continue to run
things and whether a white man was
not as good as a negro.
After long discussion. in which the
lieutenant and Mr.. Stevens assured
the men that all would be treated
alike and with absolute fairness. It
was decided that a man be sent with
the telegram to the Office, three miles
away, and find out how much 1t would
cost to send 1t. In an hour the man
returned with the astonishing news
that 1t would cost $12 to send the
message. As the troops had not re-
ceived any pay for several months
few of the men had money, and the
raising of $12 seemed rather large
undertaking. Finally. however. the
amount was raised, and the telegram
was sent to the president. This was
late in the afternoon. Next morning