Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-12
Alva Cobbler Tells Many In
teresting Events in Lives of
Washington and Lincoln
Dear Juniors:

have not written for long time.
am going to write about two very
notable American men whose birthdays
are in February. ~.
George Washington was born on 'ne
twenty second day of February l'oI IA
Virginia. Georges fathers name was
Augustine Washington. His mother
name was Mary. When he was very
small boy his father died. His mother
raised him on plantation on the Rap-
pahannock river.
He grew to be honest and brave, ana
also very stron~ He could stand on one
shore of the Potomac river and throw
a stone to the other shore, something
none of his playmates could DO -.
Once Mrs Washington had a nne colt
of which she hoped would grow into a
very faslt horse, but it was WIG anu
had never been ridden. Now George
was a good rider and he said he could
ride it, and he did. The colt tried hard
TO throw him off, but GEORGE held on
and rode the colt around the field. The
colt grew so excited that he burst
blood vessel in his head and fell down
dead. George was very sorry but Wehl
and told his mother the truth. she
said she was sorry to lose the colt, put
she was glad that her boy was trutn1u'.
When George was sixteen he gave
up school and became a surveyor.
He became brave and was a gooo
looking young fellow then.
He was put In command OF ti.e
French and Indian war. General Brad
dock was commander in chief but ne
was shot and Washington was put IN
command. WASHINGTON knew how the
Indians fought which was to get behind
trees and bushes and shoot the enemy.
He tried to tell Braddock this but Brad
dock would not listen.
One day as they were marching
through the woods the French and Ind
ians attacked them and began to hre
at them from behind trees and busnes;
Braddock was wounded and many Oh
his soldiers were killed. In a few days
Braddocl1 died of his wound.
Soon after this George was married.
His wife's name was Martina. ohe
brought him a large fortune and he had
a great deal Of property OF his own.
About 1775 the revolutionary War oron se
out and George was put in command OF
the American army. He was then forty
three years Of age. He slipped up on
the British once when they were not
expecting him and so he won the battie
of Trenton He then marched to val
lev FORGE to put up for the winter. He
had an awful time here. When the SOL
diers log huts were covered with snow
they were almost naked and ABOUT out
Of food, but Washington did not give
up and on the 18th Of October l1Sl
Lord CORVALLIS surrendered at YORK
town. Va. and ended the war. America
had won her freedom. George Washing
ton was the first president OF the Unit
ed States and did so well that he was
elected two terms.
The people said that he was the faith
er of his country and was first~ln war:
first in peace and first in the hearts OF
his countrymen. 49,,
One day as he was riding over his
farm he caught cold and had the
Group All the doctors tried hard 10
save his left but they could not and In
two days he died. 1t was the saddest
day IN America, the t"elIth OIL De'e'n
Der. 1899.
Now I will tell you about Abraham
Lincoln. He was born Feb. IL, 1909 In
Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln's father
was not rich like George Washingtons
father He hated to work and was lazy
He could not read or write. Abraham
did not go to school over one year.
His father kept moving about. He
went from Kentucky to Indiana and
then to Illinois His mother died when
he was only eight years old and his sis
ter Sarah ana ne were Woise oii 'h"A
ever.
But afterward his father married
second woman. She taught Abraham
how to read and study, so he did all or
his studying at home. His slate was
fire shovel and his pencil was charred
stick
Once he borrowed a book Of an old
farmer It was the life Of Washington.
When he was not reading it he would
put it safely away between the logs OF
the hut. One night great storm came
and soaked the book and spoiled 1t. He
took the book to the farmer and asked
how he could paw for it. The farmer
told him to pull fodder for three days
and he could have book.
At last time came to elect president
and Lincoln was elected. About this
time the civil war broke out and dread
full time were coming. First the south
fired on F't. Sumpter. Our soldiers were
not trained as the southern soldiers
were and ours would run and retreat
and it looked as if the south would win.
Many Of our soldiers would desert the
army and when they We're caught the
president could not bear to see them
shot because they had tried to go home.
After a great victory had been won
for the north Abraham Lincoln wrote
a paper saving that on the first day OF
February 1868 all the slaves should go
free
This paper was called the "Emancl-
patton Proclamation" The war went
on and the south kept growing weaker
until April 1865 the south gave up the
fight
Some time after that when Lincoln
was in Ford's theater a foolish miser
able man named John Wilkes Booth
shot him. Booth was caught and also
shot.
Alva Cobler age 10.
OttumWa Ia. r. No. 3.
Nav Stocker Writes If tho