Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-26
With Lincoln at Gettysburg.

among tue lntcl SSlillS PdoSo6cS ia
John Hays wartime diary printed in
Harper's Magazine for January, is
Hays vivid account of the Presidents
visit to Gettysburg and the delivery
of the famous Gettysburg address.
Ion our train were the President,
Seward. Usher. and Blair; Nieolay and
myself; MERCER and Admiral Raynaud;
Bertinatti and Captain Isola, and Lieu
tenant Martinez; Cora and Mrs. Wise;
Wayne MacVeagh; McDougal of Can
ada. and one or two others We had a
pleasant sort of trip. At Baltimore
Schenck's staff Joined us.
Just before we arrived at Gettys-
burg the President got into a little
talk with MacVeagh about Missouri
affairs. Macveagh talked radicalism
until he learned he was talking reck-
lessly.
AT Gettysburg the President went
to Mr.. Wills's, who expected him, and
our party broke like drop of quick
silver spilled. MacVeagh, young STAN
ton, and 1 foraged around for while
walked out to the College, got a
chatting dish of oysters then some
supper. and, finally, loafing around to
the Court House, where Lamon was
holding a meeting of marshals' we
found Forney, and went around to MS
place. Mr.. Fahnestock's and drank
little whiskey with him. He had been
drinking a good deal during the day,
and was getting to feel little ugly
and dangerous. He was particularly
bitter on Montgomery Blair Mac
Veagh was telling him that he pitched
into the Tycoon coming up and told
him some truths. He said the Presi-
dent got a good deal of that, from
time to time, and needed it.
we went out after while. follow
ing the music to hear the serenades
The President appeared at the door
said half a dozen words meaning moth
ing. and went in. Seward, who was
staying around the corner at Harper :
was called out, and spoke so lnalstlnct-
lv that ! did not hear a word of what
he was saying. Forney and MacVeagh
were still growing about Blair. we
went back to Forney's room, having
picked up Nicolay, and drank more
whiskey. Nicolay sang his little SONG
of the Three Thieves" and we then
sang John Brown" AT last we pro-
posed that Forney should make
speech. and two or three started out
to get a band to serenade
him. I stayed with him; so did Stan
ton and MacVeagh. He still growled
quietly, and l thought he was going
to do something imprudent.'
Then follows an account of the ser
enade and of the bibulous Forney
speech, in which in tipsy fashion he
mingled drollery and gravity. When
the crowd greeted him with shouts he
said:
MY friends these are the first
hearty cheers I have heard tonight
You gave no such cheers to your Pres
ident down the street. Do you Know
what you owe to that great man? You
owe your eountry-you owe your name
as American citizens"
After very much of this Hay ADDS:
Wv. MacVeagh made most touch
ing and beautiful squirt of five min
utes, and Judge Stevenson of Penn
sylvania spoke effectively and accept
ably to the people That speech (of
Forney's) must not be written out yet,
says Young as we went up stairs
He will see further about 1t when he
gets sober" We sang John Brown
and went home
Quite Shakespearian is this low
comedy interlude, coming just before
the stately scene of conservation. Per-
haps. after all, nature sometimes
emulates Shakespeare.
I'm the morning (of the 18th, Hay
continues) 1 got a beast and rode out
with the President and suite to the
cemetery in the procession. The pro-
cession formed itself in an orphanly
sort Of way and moved out with very
little help from anybody; and after a
little delay Mr.. Everett took his place
on the stand, and Mr.. Stockton made
a prayer with thought it was an ora
ton; and Mr.. Everett spoke as he al
ways does, perfectly; and the President
In a firm, free way with more grace
than is his won't said his half-dozen
lines of conservation, and the music
walled, and we went home through
oror,da5 apd cheering streets