New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-04-23
LINCOLN RELIC PRICED
BY NAVAL CAPTAIN
DeI(h]riy Has Document Which AD-
p)attd him to Annapolis.

Washington, April 2s.-A letter
faded with age, bearing a single line,
Il wish this done. A Lincoln" is one
of the treasured possessions of Cap
tain Daniel Delehanty. United States
Navy, now living at Pelham, N. y,
And back of 1t 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 If the Con-
federacy would be recognized py Eng
land and France. He sent henry Ward
Beecher to England and Archplshop
Hughes to France to talk In the cltles
and towns and arouse sympathy Tor
the cause of the North.
The archbishop was the first to re-
turn, reporting that France mad small
sympathy with the North, particularly
among the better classes. BAD as TINS
news was the president was grateIul
TO the archbishop for his report he
thanked him and added that If there
was anything he could do for the
archbishop personally he should be
glad.
Archbishop Makes Request.
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
friend of mine, who wishes to be
soldier, but he is too young. II he
could go to West Point
When the archbishop left 1t was
the boy
would be admitted.
When he returned to New York ne
summoned the lad and told him that
the president had offered him an ap-
pointment to West Point.
But Daniel Delehanty-for he II
vas-instead Of being overjoyed. SAID
Il don't want to go TO West Polnt'
l want to so to Annapolis
But there is no help for 1T now;
the president appointed YOU to West
Point, and there YOU 60" returned
the archbishop.
Finally, however, the archbishop
promised that, if the next day he still
felt averse to il he would write to the
president that the appointment could
not be accepted. Next day the boy re-
turned, and said he couldn't resign
We'll. | can't ask the president to
change the appointment" the arch
bishop said. "but if you want to go
to Washington yourself, I'll write a
letter to him.
The archbishop wrote the letter.
telling the boy that in all probability
he would not see the president. but to
see, and if it was possible he would
arrange it for him.
Boy Meets the President.
Off started the boy. He found the
man the archbishop had told him
about and told him of the letter. The
man, a messenger for the president,
made him wait a minute On his re-
turn he said he had called the presi-
rent out of a cabinet meeting, and
that he was waiting at the head of the
stairs
The boy mounted the stairs In re-
calling the incident, Captain Delehan-
ty says that his most vivid recollection
Is of pair of slippers which the
president wore, with embroidered eyes
on them. They so fascinated the flus-
tered boy that he kept his eyes OH
them; they looked like tigers eyes. He
was standing speechless, his eyes glued
to the slippers, when he heard the
president say: You have a letter for
me from Archbishop Hughes"
The boy held out the letter. The
president 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:
Il wish this done. A. Lincoln.
A xxi1I oe;r To +oII
eyed man how much it meant to him
raced through the boys head. All
kinds of grateful speeches crowded his
brain. But all he said was: INF
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 salf-possession re-
partment. Within half an hour he
had his appointment to the naval ac-
ademy.
Recovered at Last.
The letter was kept at the navy de-
partment as a part of the official rec
ords. After the boy had graduated and
taken his place as an officer in the
United States navy he wished many
times for the letter. On day after the
Spanish-American war, in which he
served. Captain Delehanty was talking
to the secretary of the navy, John n.
Long. The secretary asked him if
there was anything he could do for
him.
Thereupon Captain Delehanty told
him of that letter and how he had
tried in vain to get it. The secretary