Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-05
LINCOLN'S CABIN
And FARM HOME
GIVEN TO NATION
President Wilson Delivers Ad-
dress at Hodgenville at the
Ceremony of Transfer of
Birthplace.
NEGLECTED MANY YEARS
Log Cabin Once Used by Show
man Back in It's Orig
inal Place.
NoTABLES IN ATTENDANCE
NEGLECTED MANY YEARS
NoTABLEs IN ATTENDANCE

Hodgenville, Ky, Sept. 4.-The
humble little log cabin in which
Abraham Lincoln was born and the
farm of ITO acres about which he
played during the early years of his
boyhood, today became the property
of the American people as the gift of
the Lincoln Farm association.
After suffering the vicissitudes of
neglect and decay of nearly 100 years,
the cabin. once in the possession Of
travelling Snowman, is back on its
original site, sheltered within the
walls of magnificent granite memo
rial hall.
Accompanying the title to the farm
and cabin is an endowment fund Of
$4,000 for the maintenance of the
grounds and the memorial hall.
General John B. Castleman of
Louisville, man Abraham Lincoln
once stood ready to save when he
was in danger Of being condemned to
death by a federal court-martial, was
to introduce former Governor Joseph
w. Folk of Missouri, president of the
Lincoln Farm association, the first
speaker at the ceremonies at which
the title was transferred.
Castleman Taken as Spy.
Young Castlefnan, then a lieutenant
in the confederate army (his title OF
general dates from Spanish war days)
was arrested in Chicago during the
closing months of 1864, while on
secret mission in connection with
proposed attempt to liberate south
ern soldiers held as prisoners of war
in that vicinity He was taken in
civilian clothing, using an assumed
name, and his friends feared he would
be condemned to death as a spy.
They appealed to President Lincoln
and he being put into possession of
all the facts in the case, gave to Judge
S. NJ Breckenridge of St. Louis,
through whom the appeal was made,
a letter forbidding the execution Of
Castleman, in the event he was SEN
fenced to death BY court-martial.
This letter, written November 29,
1864, was not to be used unless
sentence of death was passed against
Castieman, and unless such an erner-
gency did arise the fact that 1t had
been written was to be kept secret.
Castleman was released on parole at
the close of the war.
Former Governor Folk was fol- |
lowed by Senator John Sharp Will
liams, who, like General Castleman,
was confederate soldier. Senator
Williams took as his subject, "Abra-
ham Lincoln and the South"
The presentation of the deed of gift
to the Lincoln homestead was to be
made by Robert J. Collier of New
York. Secretary of War Baker was
on the program to make the speech
Of acceptance.
The final address in connection
with the ceremonies was made by
President Wilson, who followed Sec
retary Baker.
History of Monument.
Early IN l9O6 Robert j. Collier
earned that the farm upon which
Abraham Lincoln was born was about
70 be sold at auction to satisfy claims
against the estate of A. w. bennett,
l New York restaurant owner, in
whose possession it had been for
several years. According to the in
reaching him several per-
sons, among them man with big
listilling interests, were anxious to
,btain possession of the place, in
ending to use it in exploiting their
wares.
He at once sent Richard Lloyd
ones to Kentucky to acquire title to
he property, if possible. Mr.. Jones
IN his arrival found the estate still
involved in court procedure and left,
irst arranging with local attorneys
o notify him when the case was
inally adjudicated.
In August of the same year came
word that the farm had been ordered
old at the courthouse door of Larue
Continued on Page Two. Column Three)