Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-12
GEN. DODGE WRITES
OF PIONEER TINES
Grand Old Man Of Council Bluffs
Circulates Volume Of Personal
Reoollections Of Friends.
TELLS OF MEETING LINCOLN
klso Recalls Generals Grant and
sherman end His Personal re-
Iatfons aud Friendship with
These Noted Men.


General @. NJ. Dodge. widely known as
the only surviving corps general OF the
eivn war. and as the grand old man of
Council Bluffs" r. circulating among his
friends q volume Of personal reeollec-
tions Of President Lincoln. General Grant
and General sherman. In this book he
hes compiled and rewritten all his data
bearing on his personal relations and
friendship with these noted men.
wholly local and always interesting. Is
the generals account Of Abraham Lin
coins visit 70 Council Bluffs when he
fitut made his Acquaintance. OF which he
writes as follows:
MY first acquaintance with Mr.. LIN
coin was In Council Bluffs. Ia, In al
gust. 1859, think the ilth day. risht eeter
his great debate with Douglas He came
here to look at some property in the RID
de tract on which ha had loaned some
rnoney to Mr. y. b. Judd the attorney
for the Rock Island railroad. Mr.. Judd
was also the manager In the campaign
With Douglass Mr.. Lincoln. accompanied
by Mr. o. N. Hatch. secretary OF state OF
Illinois, came from Springfield TO 81.
Joseph by rail. visited Kansas. then came
MP the Missouri river by steamboat. He
found here two old friends who had lived
in Springfield before they came to Coun-
ell Bluffs, W. n n. Pussy and Thomas
officer. while he was here the Hon.
w. IT. n. Pussy gave q reception at his
residence that enabled our citizens gen
erally 20 meet the two distinguished Wis
stors. He was also induced TO make q
speech IN Concert hall
Talked to LiseoIp.
During the summer OF is5g I had been
engaged in making reconnaissance west
of the Missouri river for the Union Pa
clfic railroad. came back 70 Council
Bluffs with my party. arriving here some
time In August Mr. Lincoln heard from
someone OF my explorations and surveys,
also that was IN Council Bluffs. and he
sought me out. and on the porch OF the
Pacific hotel. for two hours. he engaged
ma IN conversation about what ! knew
Of the country west OF the Missouri river,
and greatly Impressed me by the great
interest he displayed IN the work In which
I was engaged. He inquired particularly
az 20 the comparative merit OF the forty
second parallel or Platte valley tines,
VIII tUb lMO Ho1tUtIn anu Attr
lines surveyed By tho government. As
to the two southern had no Information,
but about the northern survey had oh
tanned much valuable data. =
"As q boy I worked on. Mrs, Edward
Iander's farm in Danvers. Mass. Her
aon. Frederick W. Lancer. was civil
engineer, and I vas acquainted with him.
lilo was employed By IAeutenapt IHahc
n Stevens. who had charge OF the north
ern survey from 81 Paul TO Oregon, +
Hears OF Northrrn noute.
Upon arrival OF their party on the
racific coast young Laneers left u TO-
examine what he beloved TO he su-
Derior roate--following the Columbia and
snake river valleys. thence through the
south pass and down the Platte valley
nearly 1850 miles 20 the Missouri river
az Council Bluffs. I met HIM, ana no
gave me fun information as 10 the main
features 81 tho northern route. and how
far superior the natural fne was he had
MISUNDERSTANDING tho Snake and Platte
river line 70 be far SUPERIOR TO the north
ern survey. This seemed 10 please Mr..
Lincoln, and the building OF both these
sines-the Onion Pacific and Oregon
short Line, and the Northern Pacific
has fully proved LADDERS statements.
lie stated that there was nothing more
Important before the nation AZ that time
than the bull OF the railroad to the
Pacific coast ingenionsly extracted
a greet deal 81 Information from me, ana
] found the secrets had been holding
for my employers In the cast had been
given to him. This Interview was OF the
sreatest importance 10 me. II vas a
pAiestone In my life. and Mr., Lincoln
never forget e.
While Mr.. Lincoln was IN Council
Bluffs the citisens took him. up what
Il nov Oakland avenue. to tho point
who're the road turns into Rohrer park,
and he was greatly impressed with the
beaufy ~ the Landscape. II Il one Of the
most beautiful views In the world You
can look up and down the broad Missouri
rivnr valley for ten miles. and can look
across into Nebraska and soc Omaha and
from Florence TO BELLEVUE
The Lincoln Memorial association or
sanised In this city IN connection With
the Daughters az the American Ravolu-
ton erected on that spot a monument or
memorial tol Abraham Lincoln
The book IL illustrated with many re-
prpduetiens Of historic photographs. ana
also eives the texts os numerous letters
IN correspondence passing between Cen
erai Dodge and tne naen or whom be
writes.