Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-02-09

fear and CONSERVATION than any other
in the history Of our country.
When the story Of the battle at Still
mans Run, where small band OF saw
ages put to fight a whole regiment OF
soldiers, and also that Of the massacre
at the Davis farm, where fifteen wom'
en- and children where murdered. was
spread through the country there was
scarcely q farmhouse all through the
middle West that was not deserted.
Both of the places mentioned were IN
northern Illinois and soon stockade
forts were thrown up and there the
people flocked for protection from the
vast horde Of savages that they be-
lieved to be on their trail.
Governor Reynolds Of Illinois on
April 16, 1892, issued proclamation
for volunteers to organize against the
savages, and Lincoln, then twenty
three years Of age and living Mt New
Salem, Sangamon county, Illinois, was
one of the first to respond. The COM
pany was allowed to choose its own
captain and much to his Joy Lincoln
received the largest number OF votes.
OF this incident he spoke In later years
as follows: Then came the Black
Hawk war and I was elected captain
of volunteers, q success which gave me
more pleasure than have had SINCE"
In those early days Lincoln showed
that same observance to justice and
the rights of others which character
ICED his later years, in evidence of
which may be noted the incident of the
Indians coming to General Cass with
q letter recommending him for his
services to the whites. Some Of the
men in the company wished him shot
as q spy, but Lincoln promptly inter-
fered, saying that this peaceable In
dian should not be killed. There is no
record to show but what his judgment
was correct and his leniency well I'D
vised.
One of the most interesting facts in
Lincoln's history at this time, and
which shows what queer pranks fate
can play, Is this: Gen. Winfield Scott.
then in command at Fort Smelling,
sent two young lieutenants to muster
In the Illinois volunteers. In the Ian
guage of memoir Of the times, one of
these lieutenants was "a very fasci-
mating young man Of easy manners and
affable disposition, while the other was
equally pleasant and extremely mod
est. It is further stated that "a tall,
homely young man dressed in blue
jeans" presented himself to the lieu
tenants as captain Of company of
volunteers and was duly sworn In.
The one who administered the oath
Of allegiance to the ''young man in
blue jeans was the lieutenant of the
fascinating manners above mentioned.
This was Jefferson Davis. The young
man in blue jeans was Abraham Lin
coin, and the other young lieutenant
of 1.-THE extremely modest" demeanor
was Robert Anderson, commander Of
Fort Sumter at the beginning of the
Civil war. And no premonition told
them, as they stood together on that
pleasant spring morning, of the impOr-
tant parts they were each to play in
that great drama of blood.
In that part of the war that was
carried on in Wisconsin. Lincoln was
with Early's company of rangers in
General Atkinson's command. On June
&c. 1882. this company crossed the ter
ritOrial line into Wisconsin and camped
on the bank of the Rock river, about a
mile above the Turtle village Of the
Winnebago Indians, and which is the
site Of the present city of Beloit. The
company was often alarmed by the
rumors Of Indians ahead, but had no
actual engagements. They marched
north and on July LIST camped at
Storr's lake, a short distance east Of
where the village Of Milton now
stands. Striking the main trail Of
Black Hawks army they followed 1t