The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-08
LINCOLN TALE in
FADED OLDPAPER
Postscript on Letter Opened
Academy Doors for Boy,
Now Army Captain.
OWNS VALuEnlnCIIMENT
OWNS VALUEDDOCUMENT
Daniel Delehanty Says President, His
Feet in Slippers. Left Cabinet
Meeting to See Him.

/ single line: Wish this done A
Lincoln" is one of the treasured pos
sessions of Capt. Daniel Delehanty, u.
S. N, now stationed at Pelham, n. Y.
And back of it is a story.
In the darkest period of the civil
war President Lincoln was bowed by
trouble. He summoned Henry Ward
Beecher and Archbishop John Hughes.
of New York. TO Washington. 1t
| looked. he told them, as il the Con-
federacy would be recognized by
England and France. He sent Henry
Ward Beecher to England and Arch
bishop Hughes to France to talk in
the cities and towns and arouse SYM
pathy for the cause of the North.
The archbishop was the first to re-
turn, reporting that France had small
sympathy with the North. particular
ly among the better classes. Bad as
this news was. the President was
grateful TO the archbishop for his re-
port. He thanked him and added that
IL there was anything he could do for
the archbishop personally he should
be glad.
Pleads for Boy.
The archbishop replied that there
was nOthing-but just as he was about
to leave he said:
There is a boy, the son OF dear
II ltllu Vi llO MlSlltS u De d
soldier, but he is too young. II he
could go to West Point
When the archbishop left il was
with the assurance that the boy would
be admitted.
When he returned to New York he
summoned the lad and told him that
the President had offered him an ap-
pointmcnt to West Point.
But Daniel Delehanty-for he it was
instead nf haipu
Il don't want to so to West Point;
want to go to Annapolis"
But there is no help for it now; the
President appointed you to West Point,
and there you CO." returned the arch
bishop.
Finally. however. the archbishop
promised that, IL by the next day the
son still felt averse TO it he would
write the President that the appoint
ment could not be accepted. Next day
the boy returned and said he couldn't
resign himself to going TO West Point
We'll, 1 can't ask the President o
change the appointment" the Arch
bishop said. But If you want to 60
to Washington yourself I'll write
letter to him."
Lincoln Wore Slippers.
The archbishop wrote the letter.
telling the boy that in all proba bility
he would not see the President, but
to see --. and IL ii was possible he
would arrange it for him.
on started the boy. He found the man
the archbishop had mentioned, and told
him of the letter. The man, a messenger
for the President, made him wait a min
ute. On his return he said he had called
the President out of a Cabinet meeting
and that he was waiting at the head of
the stairs.
The boy mounted the stairs. In recalling
the incident Capt DeIehanty says that
his most vivid recollection is of a pair of
slippers which the President wore. with
embroidered eyes on them. They SO fas-
ctnated the flustered boy that he kept
his eyes on them; they looked like tigers
eyes. He was standing speechless, his |
eyes glued to the slippers, when he heard
the President say: You have letter
for me from Archbishop Hughes?"
The boy held out the letter. The Presi- |
dent read it and then asked: You want
to go to Annapolis
Yes. Mr.. Lincoln"
The President placed the letter against |
the wall and added the line: II wish |
this done. A. Lincoln
A wild desire TO tell this tall, sad-eyed |
man how much it meant to him raced |
through the boys head. All kinds of |
graceful speeches crowded his brain. But |
all ne Sdld was: MIR. President, you'll /
never regret what you have done this !
day"
The President smiled and turned back |
to the door Of the Cabinet room while the
lad. his self-possession returned, bounded
away to the Navy Department. Within
half an hour he had his appointment to
the Naval Academy.
Document Is Recovered.
The letter was kept at the Navy De-
partment as a part of the official records.
After the boy had graduated and taken
his place as an officer in the United States
navy he wished many times for the let
ter. One day after the Spanish-Amer-
lean war. in which he served. Capt Dele
hanty was talking to the Secretary of the
Navy. John d. Long. The Secretary
asked him If there was anything he could
do for him.
ThereupOn Capt. Delehanty told him of
that letter and how he had tried in vain
10 get it. The Secretary said he would
sec what could be done H.
That" returned the captain. "is ex-
actly what everybody else has told me
every time ! tried to get it."
The Secretary sent for the letter and
read it over. After a while he sent for
4 clerk and gave him instructions in re-
gard to it. Later the clerk returned with
TWO letters, one an exact duplicate OF
he original, certified and attested.
The Secretary read both carefully and
hen handed the copy to the clerk and
he original to Capt Delehanty