The Adair County news., 1922-11-21
AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.
Gen. 5. G. Suddarlh Interview with
President Lincoln.

Sonal letters as II does TO many other
things. We were very much interest
ed the other day in reading letter
from former citizen of this county
in which he tells Of an interview with
President Lincoln during the progress
of the Civil War, and his impression
of him.
The letter was written by Gen. S
G. Suddarrh, father of James Sud-
darth, of this county, at the time
Quarter Master General of the State,
to VIM. Stewart and DR.. T. @, Walk.
er, also residents of Columbiaand was
written from the Willard Hotel,
Washington, d. c., of date November
1st, 1858. 1t says: ivan Wrinkle and
myself, together with Mr.. Poynter,
my chief Clerk, arrived here on last
Thursday. Our business is mainly to
get a settlement with the United
States, and the money refunded which
has been furnished by the State in
raising, arming and equipping our
troops for the United States service,
the State having advanced large sums
of money through my department for
the General Government"
After describing incidents of the
trip he tells of an interview win Mr.
Lincoln, and also one with Secretary
Stanton as follows:
"We stopped in the "East Room
and in few minutes were conducted
up tn the Presidents sanctorum, or
business room, where to our surprise
and qualification all further formal
ity was set aside.
Mr.. Lincoln shook US heartily by
the hand, and received US in so nat
Ural and transformations manner, and
with that kind and unaffected, plain
and native urbanity as to dispel all
embarrassment, and cause US to feel
entirely easy. His conversational
powers are fine, and his custom of in
terspersing his conversation with in
cidentS, anecdotes and witticisms are
well calculated to impress his hearers
with the kindheartedness Of the man.
And, they are so delicately mingled in
the thread of his discourse that one
hardly notices the depression. His
language is good, though not select,
yet very strong, pointed and forcible
though never harsh, his sentences
exceedingly short, though full and
complete, Whatever may be said of
some of his political views, history
will record him as one of the most re-
markable men of modern times.
He is dignified in his manners and
address without austerity, self poised
and clear in his perceptions. We had
rather long chat with him (from a
half to three quarters of an hour on
various matters connected with his
administration, and the position of
Kentucky, etc, etc
In speaking Of certain politician,
mot a Kentuckian) he said: "Mf.
-- is did rascal" and then
added, ''God knows, 1 do not know
when 1 have sworn before" On the
subject of our, claims, he referred US
to the War Department, and added,
that if we got tangled with the off,
GERS there, to come back to him, and
he would untangle the matter. He
then gave US card of introduction to
the Secretary of War
We then went and had an interview
with Secretary Stanton, and though
we expected to meet with that crusty,
harsh military sort of reception that
is usual in approaching the headquar-
ters Of some of our up.start brigadiers,
we were agreeably surprised to find
him pleasant, courteous and commu.
NEGATIVE, taking pains to give US ali
snecessary information how to proceed
with our business 1t being, however,
Saturday evening, we told him that
we did not contemplate going into
our investigation of the claims until
Monday, but, desired to make his &C
Quaintance, and inform him Of the
object Of our mission and he request
ed US to return on Monday at II
o'clock"