Lincoln's Yarns and Stories Part 48

"In that case I want you with me. In fact, I must have you. So get yourself ready and come along. It will be handy to have you around. If there is to be a fight, I want you to help me to do my share of it, as you have done in times past. You must go, and go to stay."

This is Lamon's version of it.

LINCOLN WASN'T BUYING NOMINATIONS.

To a party who wished to be empowered to negotiate reward for promises of influence in the Chicago Convention, 1860, Mr. Lincoln replied:

"No, gentlemen; I have not asked the nomination, and I will not now buy it with pledges.

"If I am nominated and elected, I shall not go into the Presidency as the tool of this man or that man, or as the property of any factor or clique."

HE ENVIED THE SOLDIER AT THE FRONT.

After some very bad news had come in from the army in the field, Lincoln remarked to Schuyler Colfax:

"How willingly would I exchange places to-day with the soldier who sleeps on the ground in the Army of the Potomac!"

DON'T TRUST TOO FAR

In the campaign of 1852, Lincoln, in reply to Douglas' speech, wherein he spoke of confidence in Providence, replied: "Let us stand by our candidate (General Scott) as faithfully as he has always stood by our country, and I much doubt if we do not perceive a slight abatement of Judge Douglas' confidence in Providence as well as the people. I suspect that confidence is not more firmly fixed with the judge than it was with the old woman whose horse ran away with her in a buggy. She said she 'trusted in Providence till the britchen broke,' and then she 'didn't know what in airth to do.'"

HE'D "RISK THE DICTATORs.h.i.+P."

Lincoln's great generosity to his leaders was shown when, in January, 1863, he a.s.signed "Fighting Joe" Hooker to the command of the Army of the Potomac. Hooker had believed in a military dictators.h.i.+p, and it was an open secret that McClellan might have become such had he possessed the nerve. Lincoln, however, was not bothered by this prattle, as he did not think enough of it to relieve McClellan of his command. The President said to Hooker:

"I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the Government needed a dictator. Of course, it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command.

Only those generals who gain success can be dictators.

"What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictators.h.i.+p."

Lincoln also believed Hooker had not given cordial support to General Burnside when he was in command of the army. In Lincoln's own peculiarly plain language, he told Hooker that he had done "a great wrong to the country and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer."

"MAJOR GENERAL, I RECKON."

At one time the President had the appointment of a large additional number of brigadier and major generals. Among the immense number of applications, Mr. Lincoln came upon one wherein the claims of a certain worthy (not in the service at all), "for a generals.h.i.+p" were glowingly set forth. But the applicant didn't specify whether he wanted to be brigadier or major general.

The President observed this difficulty, and solved it by a lucid indors.e.m.e.nt. The clerk, on receiving the paper again, found written across its back, "Major General, I reckon. A. Lincoln."

WOULD SEE THE TRACKS.

Judge Herndon, Lincoln's law partner, said that he never saw Lincoln more cheerful than on the day previous to his departure from Springfield for Was.h.i.+ngton, and Judge Gillespie, who visited him a few days earlier, found him in excellent spirits.

"I told him that I believed it would do him good to get down to Was.h.i.+ngton," said Herndon.

"I know it will," Lincoln replied. "I only wish I could have got there to lock the door before the horse was stolen. But when I get to the spot, I can find the tracks."

"ABE" GAVE HER A "SURE TIP."

If all the days Lincoln attended school were added together, they would not make a single year's time, and he never studied grammar or geography or any of the higher branches. His first teacher in Indiana was Hazel Dorsey, who opened a school in a log schoolhouse a mile and a half from the Lincoln cabin. The building had holes for windows, which were covered over with greased paper to admit light. The roof was just high enough for a man to stand erect. It did not take long to demonstrate that "Abe" was superior to any scholar in his cla.s.s. His next teacher was Andrew Crawford, who taught in the winter of 1822-3, in the same little schoolhouse. "Abe" was an excellent speller, and it is said that he liked to show off his knowledge, especially if he could help out his less fortunate schoolmates. One day the teacher gave out the word "defied." A large cla.s.s was on the floor, but it seemed that no one would be able to spell it. The teacher declared he would keep the whole cla.s.s in all day and night if "defied" was not spelled correctly.

When the word came around to Katy Roby, she was standing where she could see young "Abe." She started, "d-e-f," and while trying to decide whether to spell the word with an "i" or a "y," she noticed that Abe had his finger on his eye and a smile on his face, and instantly took the hint. She spelled the word correctly and school was dismissed.

THE PRESIDENT HAD KNOWLEDGE OF HIM.

Lincoln never forgot anyone or anything.

At one of the afternoon receptions at the White House a stranger shook hands with him, and, as he did so, remarked casually, that he was elected to Congress about the time Mr. Lincoln's term as representative expired, which happened many years before.

"Yes," said the President, "You are from--" (mentioning the State).

"I remember reading of your election in a newspaper one morning on a steamboat going down to Mount Vernon."

At another time a gentleman addressed him, saying, "I presume, Mr.

President, you have forgotten me?"

"No," was the prompt reply; "your name is Flood. I saw you last, twelve years ago, at--" (naming the place and the occasion).

"I am glad to see," he continued, "that the Flood goes on."

Subsequent to his re-election a deputation of bankers from various sections were introduced one day by the Secretary of the Treasury.

After a few moments of general conversation, Lincoln turned to one of them and said:

"Your district did not give me so strong a vote at the last election as it did in 1860."

"I think, sir, that you must be mistaken," replied the banker. "I have the impression that your majority was considerably increased at the last election."