The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-03-22

camp.
What course the boy had been oblig-
ed to take to avoid being arrested by
Federal troops does not appear. but the
report of the officer in charge Of the
f0ra@ing party was that he was head
, ing for the Confederate lines. The
fact that lie had had brother in the
Confederate army also told against
him. lie was tried by court martial
for desertion and sentenced to be shot
one morning while 1Ir. Lincoln was
talking with visitor at the White
House an attendant entered and hand
ed the president Il card. y panied eX-
preston crossed Mr.. LiucO.us face as
he recognized the name Of Julia III
water. The paIers in the case Of her
sons court martial had been forward
ed to him, ana his signature was ncccs-
saIy before the death sentence could
be carried out. The. visitor offered to
give way to the newcomer. but Arr.
Lincoln urged him to remain where
he was. at the same time giving an
order that the woman was to be ad-
mitted.
Presently the door was opened, and
a pale faced woman entered.
My son has been condemned to die"
she said, and viii be executed unless
you will save him."
What is he charged with, madam"
"Desertion.
Was he not regularly tried by court
martial?"
Yes, but
And was he not arrested passing to-
ward the Confederate liues?'
Yes, but there is another side to the
story"
Il have heard the story. and 1 am
sorry to say to You that I cannot possi-
bly, interfere with the sentence Of the
court"
Mr.. Lincoln turned away from the
woman, but was recalled to her by the
sound of a falling body. She had
tainted.
The president FASTENED to her, raised
her and called an attendant Together
they worked over her till she was re
stored to consciousness.
At the time the secretary of war, Mr..
Stanton, and the generals of the army
were complaining bitterly of Mr. Lin
coins interference with their efforts to
maintain discipline by pardoning those
who were sentenced, especially for de-
sertion. 1t was these complaints that
had moved him to put a curb on his
!, 10, ,f,
ence. Papers in the case of Arthur At
water had passed through the war de-
partment, and Mr.. Stanton had fore
stalled any action on the part of Mr..
Lincoln in the doomed mans favor.
When the woman had recovered she
begged so hard that the president would
hear her side Of the story that he final
ly consented to DO so. IF you really
come here fer justice" he said sitting
down beside her, you shall have it.
and it will make me happy to give it,
but if you merely wish to work on my
sympathies in order to blind me to my
duty you viii make me miserable with
out making Yourself less miserable"
God bless you, Mr. President!' was
the reply. 81 only ask that you will
hear what ! have to say, and if You
can be convinced my story is true that
YOU will mterpose in my sons behalf
The widow then told Mr. Lincoln the
story as it has been told here. When
she had finished Mr.. Lincoln said to
her:
You may go now. madam, with 4
good heart. l promise you that pro-
ceedings shall be stayed and that you
shall have ali opportunity to prove the
truth Of your statement. If you do SO
you have nothing to fear"
The president repressed the express
siOns Of gratitude of the woman he had
made happy, interrupting her to say
that he was only doing his duty, and
she went out weeping tears of relief
and joy
Arthur Atwater was preparing him
self to meet his fate when a telegram
was received by him that his eXecu-
ton had been ordered delayed by the
president for an investigation of his
case, His mother made good her state |
ment and he was returned to duty. |
His life was saved by the appeal of |
his mother to one who mingled kind |
" nature with a sense Of justice.
There is no record at hand of what |
the secretary of war said when it was |
announced to him that a stay had |
been granted in the case of Private |
Arthur AtWater. 1t is quite likely. |
however, that he frowned and nut
tered. Another case Of chicken heart |
edness on the part of the president"
There is a sequel to the story which |
gives it a fitting ending When the |
truth came out that the officer to |
whom Arthur had applied for leave |
had in face of the evidence at hand |
accused the boy Of cowardice and had
called his mother a scheming rebeI.
the captain was taken to task by his
colonel, who preferred charges against
him. While the case was pending the
captain got on a spree and while drunk
was thrown from his horse and killed.
If Mr. Lincoln's tender heartedness
was a weakness it was not the kind
Of a weakness that his lieutenants III
the big war attributed to him 1t was
not the kind Of a weakness that leads
one TO do an i'm iIlSticn for fo1r of die |