Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-14
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
LINCOLN AND THE SLEEPING
 SENTINEL

One of the most interesting stories told of President Lincoln is that of his saving the life of a soldier who had fallen asleep while acting as sentinel. The name of the soldier was William Scott, a member of the Sd Vermont regiment.
 The crime of Scott's having been found asleep at his post occurred in September of 1861. Scott was just of age, and accustomed to his regular sound and healthy sleep, and had not yet become inured to the life of the camp.
 One night in the early part of Sep- l tember, in the year of the opening of the civil war, he volunteered to take l the place of d sick comrade who had 1 been detailed for picket duty, and had i passed the night as a sentinel on 1 guard. The next day he was himself i detailed for the same duty and under l took it's performance.
 1 But Scott found it impossible to | keep awake for two nights in success 1 siCn, and had been found by the re- 1 lief sound asleep at his post. For this 1 offence he had been tried by Court 1 martial, found guilty and sentenced to 1 be shot within twenty -four hours af- 1 ter his trial, and on the second morn 1 ing after his offence was committed. His comrades had set about saving him in characteristic way. They ap- pointed a committee with power to use all the resources of the regiment in his behalf and the committee called on L. E. Chittenden, who was himself 1 from Vermont and had much influ- 1 ence with the President
 When Chittenden heard the story he told the men, There is only one man or earth who can save your com- rade, We will go to President Lincoln.
 They went from the treasury depart
 ment over to the White House and UT
 the stairway to the little office. where
 they found the President writing.
 The President received them cordial ly and asked the nature of their cal
 Chittenden told him that the men whC
 had accompanied him had come tC
 plead for the life of a comrade "Wha1 . has he done" said the President, ''yoI Vermonters are not a bad lot, general ly." One of the committee forthwith started to state the case. He gave { graphic account of the whole inciden
 and ended by saying: He is as bray,
 boy as is in your army, sir. Scot is no coward. Our mountains breed n, towards. Oh, MT. Lincoln can you say,
 him?"
 The President smiled and final,
 broke into a hearty laugh as he salt 9 Do you Green Mountain boys figh 2 as well as you talk? If you do, then don't wonder at the legend abou
 Ethan Allen"
 They asked the President to sign al
 order to suspend Scott's execution un til his friends could have his case ex
 amined. The President replied that h T safe. You do not know these officer e of the regular army. They are a lay
 unto themselves. They sincerely thin 1 it is good policy to occasionally shoo Il a soldier"
 = The President continued: 1T can SC V 1 it where a soldier deserts or commit
 a crime, but l cannot in such a cas
 as Scott's. They say that I am alWay Il interfering with the discipline of tn f. army. Well, can't help it, so I sha - have to go right on doing wrong.
 T do not think an honest, brave sol dier, concious of no crime, but sleep ing when he was weary, ought to | shot or hung. The country has bette uses for him.
 4- Captain" continued the Presiden
 your boy shall not be shot-that
 not tomorrow nor until I know mos e about his case"
 t Turning to MT. Chittenden, Lincol l. said: T will have to attend to tn
 matter my self. I have for some tin
 intended to go up to the Chain Bridg r- will do so to-day. I shall then kno , that there is no mistake in suspendir - the execution"
 ,H To this remark Chittenden replie ie that Lincoln would be undertaking
 burden he had no right to impose: thi
 it was asking too much in behalf of at private soldier.
 t. "Scott's life is as valuable to him l. that of any person in the land.' Chi teTlden expressed the gratitude of u
 soldiers, and they took their departur
 Two members of the committee" r. " mained to watch events in the cit i+ while the others returned to carry u ,s news of their success to Scott and "a the camp. Later in the day the ty u members reported that the Preside
 had started in the direction of t camp. Within day or two the new all papers reported that a soldier SC he fenced to be shot for sleeping on | lie post had been pardoned by the Pres ey dent and returned to his regiment 7. (To- -morrow-Our Presidents as Hors
 men.)