Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-09

he was marching, and then-he could not tell
anything about it,
Scott was from Vermont. and q party OF
soldiers OF his company who sought to have
the sentence set aside was granted an inter-
view with the President through the efforts Of
L. C. Crittenden, Registrar Of the Treasury.
When introduced to the President the captain
who was the SpokeSman-tOld the story, con-
GLIDING with:
He is as brave a boy as there is in your
army, sir. Scott is no coward. Our mountains
breed no towards. They are the home of 3d.
600 men who voted fer Abraham Lincoln. They
will not be able to see that the best thing to
be done with william Scott will be to shoot
him like traitor and bury him like dog!
Oh, Mr.. Lincoln, can you?"
The writer adds: Mr. Lincoln exclaimed
No. can't and then with q hearty laugh,
Mr.. Crittenden, do your Green Mountain boys
fight as well as they talk? II they do, don't
wonder at the legends about Ethan Alien
Then, Captain, your boy shall not be shot
that is. not tomorrow, not until know more
about this case Then to Mr.. Crittenden he
said: I will have to attend to this matter my
self. have for some time intended to 60 up
to Chain Bridge. viii do so today. shall
then know that there Is no mistake in, sus-
pending the execution
Scott said the President spoke to him kind
ly. Asked about his school, the farm, the
to make request as to the conduct of the
execution when the President said: My bow
stand up here and look me in the face. MY
boy. you not going to be shot tomorrow
believe you when you tell me that you could
not keep awake. am going to trust YOU and
send you back to your regiment But I have
been put to a good deal Of trouble ON your
account. have had to come UP here from WASH
1ngton when I have got great deal to do
and what want to know is how are YOU
going to pay my bifl? Scott replied that there
was some bounty in the savings bank. that the
farm could be mortgaged, and that on pay
day. the boys surely would heIp-that would
make up to five or six hundred dollars
Mr.. Lincoln with his hands on SCOTS
shoulders said: My boy, my bill is q very
large one. Your friends cannot pay it, nor
your bounty nor the farm, nor all your COM
rSdes! There is only one man in all the world
who can pay it, and his name is William Scott!
II. from this day. william Scott does his duty
so that. il was there when he comes to die
he can hook me in the face as he does now
and say, Il have kept my promise, and have
done nay duty as q soldier" then my debt viii
be paid WIN you make that promise and try
to keep itY"
EOVT. SCOTT did not survive long afterward
for In the Battle Of Lees Mil, Virginia, he
was wounded in the chest and died April 16
1854 A wounded comrade who was brought to
hospital tent near the Columbian College q
little below Columbia road ON Fourteenth street,
conveyed to Mr.. Crittenden SCOTS last message
before he passed away. II was this:
IF any Of you ever have the chance wish
you would tell President Lincoln that I have
never forgotten the kind words he said to me
at the Chain Bridge-that have tried to be a
good soldier and true to the fag-that I should
have paid my whole debt to him n had