Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-05
Minnie May Duffield :
Abraham Lincoln.

IDe8r Juniors:
Abraham Lincoln, grandfather ofth'
settlers Of Kentucky. His ancestor
settled near Plymouth. Mass. Iatel
they moved to New Jersey, then to New
York and later to Berks county, Penn.
sylvania. This Abraham Lincoln and
his family were friends of the Boone.
and it was due to Daniel Boone thai
they had come to Kentucky.
They lived in a stockade Like the 9th.
er settlers, because the Indians were
still to be feared. For eight years al
went well, till one day the father ant
the father was killed by an Indian
This broke up the family and, Thomas
who was the youngest, was left to take
care Of himself.
Thomas was a carpenter and by the
time he was twenty-five years old ne
had money enough to buy farm. 1r
1906 he married Nancy Hanks. The
young couple were very poor and thei1
| life was very rough.
, room and the furniture was home
| made and very rude.
In this house in Hardin county, now
La Rue county, KY, Abraham Lincoln
| was born.
When seven years old they moved to
Indiana. AS the country was thfckly
| wooded they had to cut a road In order
tO get to their goal.
Their home was a half faced cabin
with only three sides. Later log
cabin was built.
Here Abe with his little sister Sarah
walked four miles to Reiny school with
only piece Of corn bread for their
lunch.
Abe was very eager to learn. At
night he would throw spicewood
branches on the fire so that he could
see better to study. He did his figuring
on a wooden shovel.
When Abe was nine his mother died.
His stepmother was kind and helped
him with his lessons.
When nineteen years old he went to
New Orleans as hand on a flat boat.
He got So a month and the trip back.
On his return home his father moved
to Illinois and Abe entered the Black
Hawk war and was made captain Of his
company Once he saved an Indian who
had wandered into camp, at the risk
OF his own life.
On his return from war in 1882 he
bought a store with another young man
but 1t proved a failure.
He then studied law, had mastered
surveying and had been made village
postmaster.
When he practiced law he was al
ways just and honest in his cases.
In 1884 Lincoln was made number
OF the state Legislature. He took his
seat in Vandalia, then the state capital,
and in 1916 he was chosen as a men,
Der Of congress.
He was made candidate for the
United States senate in 1856, but his
opponent, S. A. Douglas was chosen.
He was then chosen candidate for
| ~l@ ~A~I h. -
backwoods boy became president of the
| United States.
He took the oath Of president on
| March 4, 1861.
Now his great task began. He knew
| what was before him, for the southern
| states had threatened to secede If he
| were elected. He had no hatred for the
southern people when they tried it. But
no was determined that the union
| once Washington's portrait hanging on
the wall Of the executive mansion was,
I in keeping with the occasion, draped
| with an American flag. Lincoln coming
into the room walked over to the por-
trait, and pointing to the flag said
Not one star on that blue field shall
be blotted out"
The great civil war began in 1861
soon after Lincoln became president.
slavery, and wanted to take slaves to
other territories, so that they would be-
come slave states.
On November 10, 1863 Lincoln made
his Gettysburg speech. The occasion
was to dedicate the cemetery for the
northern soldiers who had fallen in the
preceding July. This speech is consid-
cred one Of the best ever delivered. It's
reality and earnestness went to the
hearts Of all who heard it. 1t made
them think more about the great con-
flict in which they were engaged.
After the battle Of Gettysburg Lin
coin signed and published to the world,
the famous document known as the
Emancipation Proclamation" which
freed all the negro slaves in the United
States.
On April IA. 1866 only four days after
Lees surrender. Lincoln was shot by
an assassin. His loss was mourned all
| over the world. They had lost one Of
the greatest men in history.
Minnie May Duffield,
Box 2, Prairie Ave-, Ottumwa, Ia.
THE CAlORIES Ill GET YOU.