Evening star., 1952-11-13
Some Are Positive About Old NEGATIVE
To the Editor Of The Star:

l. Star some interesting references to
a Matthew Brady photograph taken at
Hanover Junction, Pa. reproduced in
connection with the re-enactment of
Lincolns visit to Gettysburg. Some facts
regarding this photograph may be Of
interest.
The Brady Civil War negatives were
long in custody Of the Signal Corps.
United States Army, and the picture in
question was labeled as having been
made either at Hanover Junction, Va,
or at Burkesville, Va. The writer. quite
some years ago, while making an in
vestigation of the early locomotives Of
the Louisa Railroad, now the Chesapeake
& Ohio, which ran out Of Hanover
Junction, Va, visited both that locality
and BurkeSville, hoping to find that the
picture in the hands of the Signal Corps
was that of an early Louisa Railroad
engine.
Both places turned out to be COM
pletely unlike the one shown in the
picture and the writer speculated that
the picture might have been taken at
Hanover Junction, Pa, speculation
which led to a visit to that area. AS the
name of the place has been changed to
Seven Valleys. night came on before the
spot where the picture was taken could
be identified and heavy fog had settled
before, after asking one person after
another for directions. the place was
reached. The writer's car became begged
down in the mud at a point about where
the train stands in the picture and a
gentleman came out of the building
which was then the station, now an
apartment, to find out what the COM
motion was about. When the stranger
in the mired automobile, there in a
back yard in the dark and fog explained
that he was looking for the place where
a train had been photographed during
the Civil War days, some further ex-
planning was in order. It was soon
established. however, that there was no
doubt about that being the place, for
the buildings are still there and the
abandoned railroad bed could be traced,
even in the night.
Thomas Norrell.
The Star is 100 per cent correct in
stating that "it has been pretty well
agreed (by serious historians) that Lin
coin was never photographed either at
or on his way to Gettysburg" And Miss
Josephine Cobb of the National Archives,
is correct in assuming that the photo
graph which you reproduced was not
that of Lincoln, at Hanover Junction.
Several years ago made an exhaustive
study of LincolnS visit to Gettysburg.
My research carried me into the files Of
all the important papers of the North Of
that day. The Washington correspond
ent of The Philadelphia Inquirer was
on the train with the Lincoln party from
Washington to Gettysburg. His dis
patch, recounting the incidents Of the
trip, shows very plainly that the Presi-
dent never left his train. quote from
my manuscript:
when the special train reached Han
over Junction, there was halt until the
track was cleared for the last lap of the
Journey ''The people of the vicinity
who lined the railroad Immediately
massed themselves around the car con-
tanning the President He stepped upon
the platform (of the carr and the whole
body uncovered in his presence. :. He
was greeted with cheers, and (then he)
delivered one of the brief, quaint
speeches for which he is celebrated. Said
he: Well, you have seen me, and. ac-
cording to general experience, you have
seen less than you expected to see.' A
genuine, hearty round of merriment at
tended the remark, and the President
continued: You had the Rebels here last
summer, hadn't you?' A universal re-
sponse Of yes was given. We'll, did you
fight them any?' jocosely asked Mr.. Lin
coin. This was q poser. The people
looked at each other with half-amuSed,
half-puzzled expression, while the long,
tall form of the President leaned from
the car as he waited the reply. The
reply was not given. Inquirer.
November 81, 1868.
Here we have an eyewitness account
by a veteran journalist of what actually
took place. Mr.. Lincoln did not leave
the coach in which he was riding. The
photograph shows him walking about the
station, with very few persons around
him. If Brady had been along, the corr
respondent would have noted the fact.
If the scene described above had been
photographed, every illustrated weekly in
the Nation would have carried it. There
is no such photograph.
David Rankin Barbee.
Orange, Texas.
have come across some 1urther EVIL
dence which, If validated. will unques-
tionably establish the identity of Abra-
ham Lincoln in the picture you pub
lished on October Is.
This evidence is concerned with the
two gentlemen shown standing together
with the putative Mr.. Lincoln in the
photograph. They appear to me to be
Lincoln's secretaries, j. G. Nicolay and
John Hay. picture Of both with Lin
coin, on the basis of which stand with
Miss Cobb and Mr.. Lippi, may be seen
in the frontispiece of Thayer's ''The
Life of John Hay" Vol. /.
This same volume at page 203 con-
tains Hays account of the trip from
Washington to Gettysburg. 1t refers
to the fact that both Hay and Nicolay
accompanied the President, which
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