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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
I venture to say that among our public men there is not one whose life can be studied with more interest and profit by American youth than that of Abraham Lincoln. It is not alone that, born in an humble cabin, he reached the highest position accessible to an American, but especially because in every position which he was called upon to fill, he did his duty as he understood it, and freely sacrificed personal ease and comfort in the service of the humblest. I have prepared the story of Lincoln’s
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CHAPTER I. THE LOG-CABIN.
CHAPTER I. THE LOG-CABIN.
Three children stood in front of a rough log-cabin in a small clearing won from the surrounding forest. The country round about was wild and desolate. Not far away was a vast expanse of forest, including oaks, beeches, walnuts and the usual variety of forest trees. We are in Indiana, and the patch of land on which the humble log-cabin stood is between the forks of Big Pigeon and Little Pigeon Creeks, a mile and a half east of Gentryville, a small village not then in existence. The oldest of the
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CHAPTER II. THE NEW MOTHER.
CHAPTER II. THE NEW MOTHER.
When the new Mrs. Lincoln entered the humble log-cabin which was to be her future home, it may well be imagined that her heart sank within her at the primitive accommodations, or rather, lack of accommodations. “How do you like it?” asked Thomas Lincoln, who was much more easily satisfied than his wife. “Not at all at present. There are no doors or windows. There is not even a plank floor.” “We have got along without them,” said her husband. “We can’t get along without them any longer. You are a
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CHAPTER III. ABE AND HIS FAMILY.
CHAPTER III. ABE AND HIS FAMILY.
My young readers may naturally feel some curiosity as to the Lincoln family and their previous history. The grandfather of Abraham was one of the pioneer settlers of Kentucky. About the year 1780 he removed from Rockingham County, Virginia, to what was then an unsettled wilderness. His death was tragical. Four years later, while at work in the field, at some distance from his cabin, he was shot down by a prowling Indian. How his widow managed, with the care of five helpless children, we do not a
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CHAPTER IV. ABE’S SCHOOLING.
CHAPTER IV. ABE’S SCHOOLING.
“ Spell defied !” This question was put a class in spelling by the master. The first pupil in the straggling line of backwoods boys and girls who stood up in class, answered with some hesitation: “D-e-f-i-d-e, defied.” The master frowned. “Next!” he called sharply. The next improved upon the effort of the first speller, and in a confident tone answered. “D-e-f-y-d-e.” “Wrong again! The next may try it,” said the teacher. “D-e-f-y-d!” said the third scholar. “Worse and worse! You are entitled to
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CHAPTER V. ABE AND HIS NEIGHBORS.
CHAPTER V. ABE AND HIS NEIGHBORS.
If Abe’s knowledge had increased in proportion to the increase in his stature, he would have been unusually learned at the age of seventeen, for he stood at that time nearly six feet four inches in his stockings, and, boy as he was, was taller than any man in the vicinity. I must not omit to state that he had a remarkable memory, and this was of great service to him in his early efforts at oratory. Mr. Lamon tells us that: “He frequently amused his young companions by repeating to them long pass
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CHAPTER VI. A RIVER TRIP.
CHAPTER VI. A RIVER TRIP.
Thus passed the early years of Abraham Lincoln. He was approaching manhood, well prepared physically to undertake its responsibilities, but with a very slender stock of knowledge. He had, however, acquired a taste for learning, and was a close, careful, and shrewd observer. He had also the ability to speak fluently in rough-and-ready style on any subject of which he knew anything. Of the world he had seen very little, but his knowledge in that direction was to be extended by a trip down the Ohio
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CHAPTER VII. LINCOLN AS A CLERK
CHAPTER VII. LINCOLN AS A CLERK
Young Lincoln’s successful trip to New Orleans led to his engagement for a similar trip in the early part of 1831. With him were associated John Hanks and John Johnston. Their employer was a Mr. Denton Offutt, of Lexington, Kentucky, and a part of the cargo consisted of a drove of hogs. Each of the three was to be paid at the rate of fifty cents per day, and the round sum of sixty dollars divided between them. Abe considered this very good pay, and was very glad to make the engagement. The three
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CHAPTER VIII. IN THE BLACK HAWK CAMPAIGN.
CHAPTER VIII. IN THE BLACK HAWK CAMPAIGN.
Though the young clerk proved faithful and efficient, his whole time was not taken up by his duties in Offutt’s store. Knowing well the defects of his education, it occurred to him that he could use profitably some of his leisure by employing it in study. He knew little or nothing of English grammar, and this was likely to interfere with him if called upon to act in any public capacity where he would be required to make speeches. “I have a notion to study English grammar,” he said to Mr. Graham,
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CHAPTER IX. IN THE LEGISLATURE.
CHAPTER IX. IN THE LEGISLATURE.
My young readers will have noticed how extremely slender thus far had been the educational advantages of young Lincoln. Of the thousands of men who have risen to eminence in this country from similar poverty, few have had so little to help them. In England the path of promotion is more difficult, and I doubt whether any one circumstanced as Abraham Lincoln was could ever have reached a commanding position. It will be interesting in this connection to read the statement made by John Bright at his
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CHAPTER X. A CASE IN COURT
CHAPTER X. A CASE IN COURT
We are told by Mr. Lamon, that Mr. Lincoln got his license as an attorney early in 1837, and commenced practice regularly as a lawyer in the town of Springfield, in March of that year. It is with this place that his name was associated for the remainder of his life. Though it contained at that time less than two thousand inhabitants, it was a town of considerable importance. The list of the local bar contained the names of several men of ability and reputation. Stephen A. Douglas, already referr
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CHAPTER XI. MR. LINCOLN FORMS TWO PARTNERSHIPS
CHAPTER XI. MR. LINCOLN FORMS TWO PARTNERSHIPS
Practicing law in those days, and in that region, had some peculiar features. It was the custom for lawyers to “ride the circuit,” that is, to accompany the judges from one country-town to another, attending to such business as might offer, in different sections of the State. Railroads had not yet found their way out so far West, and the lawyer was wont to travel on horseback, stopping at cabins on the way to eat and sleep, and, in brief, to “rough it.” One brought up like Lincoln was not likely
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CHAPTER XII. THE LAWYER IN HIS OFFICE AND AT HOME.
CHAPTER XII. THE LAWYER IN HIS OFFICE AND AT HOME.
I have already told my readers something of Mr. Lincoln as a lawyer. I may add that he stood high in the estimation of his professional brethren. “For my single self,” says one, “I have for a quarter of a century regarded Mr. Lincoln as one of the finest lawyers I ever knew, and of a professional bearing so high-toned and honorable as justly, and without derogating from the claims of others, entitling him to be presented to the profession as a model well worthy of the closest imitation.” Now the
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CHAPTER XIII. THE RAIL-SPLITTER ENTERS CONGRESS.
CHAPTER XIII. THE RAIL-SPLITTER ENTERS CONGRESS.
Abraham Lincoln’s professional success did not fill the measure of his ambition. It certainly was a great step upward from the raw-boned, ragged, barefooted lad to the prosperous lawyer, and our hero, if I may so call him, doubtless felt complacent when he considered the change in his position and surroundings. I may take occasion to say here that Abe—to return to the name which he did not wholly lay aside when he emerged from boyhood and youth—never put on airs because of his elevation, nor loo
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CHAPTER XIV. THE FIRST SPEECH IN CONGRESS.
CHAPTER XIV. THE FIRST SPEECH IN CONGRESS.
The backwoods-boy is now in Congress. He is one of the law-makers of the nation, and is an equal associate of eminent statesmen gathered from all parts of the country. Let us look about us as we enter the old Hall of Representatives, and see into what company the backwoods-boy has come. In the Speaker’s chair sits a dignified-looking man, an accomplished parliamentarian, whom friends and opponents alike concede to be amply competent to discharge the duties of his high place—this is Robert C. Win
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CHAPTER XV. MR. LINCOLN’S FAMILY.
CHAPTER XV. MR. LINCOLN’S FAMILY.
When Mr. Lincoln’s first Congressional term expired, he declined to be a candidate for re-election. He was a delegate to the convention that nominated General Taylor for the Presidency, and did what he could to bring about his election. He would have preferred Henry Clay, who was unquestionably far more fit for the position of Chief Magistrate, being an experienced statesman, while Taylor was only a rough soldier; but availability then, as now, controlled the choice of conventions, and Clay was
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CHAPTER XVI. THE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN.
CHAPTER XVI. THE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN.
Mr. Lincoln had served a term in the House of Representatives with credit to himself and profit to the country. He was regarded as a rising man, and every year made him more prominent. It is not strange that his ambition should have coveted a seat in the Senate. In 1855 he was a candidate before the Legislature to succeed General Shields, but, failing to get the required number of votes, he counselled his friends to vote for Judge Trumbull, who was elected. It was a personal disappointment, for
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CHAPTER XVII. THE TWO GIANTS.
CHAPTER XVII. THE TWO GIANTS.
If I were writing a complete and exhaustive biography of Mr. Lincoln, I should be tempted to quote freely from the speeches made by both contestants in the memorable campaign which made Douglas a Senator, and his opponent the next President of the United States. But neither my space, nor the scope of my book, allows this. I will, however, quote, as likely to be of general interest, the personal description of Lincoln given by his distinguished rival: “In the remarks I have made on this platform,
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CHAPTER XVIII. ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
CHAPTER XVIII. ILLINOIS DECLARES FOR THE RAIL-SPLITTER.
Henceforth Abraham Lincoln was a marked man. He had sprung into national prominence. Limited as had been his tenure of office—including only two years in the lower house of Congress—it is remarkable how suddenly he came to be recognized as a leader. But at the East he was known only by reputation. This was soon remedied. He received an invitation to lecture in New York, or rather in Mr. Beecher’s church in Brooklyn. He was well pleased to accept, but stipulated that he should be permitted to spe
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CHAPTER XIX. NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT.
CHAPTER XIX. NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT.
On the 16th of May the Republican Convention assembled in Chicago. Considered with reference to its outcome, no more important convention had assembled since the organization of the Government. Though this could not be realized at the time, its deliberations were followed with great interest all over the country. The opponents of the slave power were, for the first time, to make a formidable effort to prevent its extension and indefinite perpetuation. Of course, there had been more or less elect
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CHAPTER XX. FAREWELL TO SPRINGFIELD.
CHAPTER XX. FAREWELL TO SPRINGFIELD.
However bitter and acrimonious a political campaign may have been, the result is usually accepted good-naturedly. The defeated party hopes for better luck next time, and awaits with interest the course of the new Executive. But this was not the case after the election which made Mr. Lincoln President. The South was sullen, the North divided in sentiment. The party that sustained slavery had staked all on the issue of the campaign. They were not disposed to acquiesce in the result. They were quie
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CHAPTER XXI. A VISIT TO MR. LINCOLN.
CHAPTER XXI. A VISIT TO MR. LINCOLN.
Before proceeding to speak of Abraham Lincoln as President, I desire that my readers may know him as well as possible, and for that purpose I will transcribe an account of a visit to him by a correspondent of the New York Evening Post . I find it in D. W. Bartlett’s book, entitled “The Life and Public Services of Hon. Abraham Lincoln”: “It had been reported by some of Mr. Lincoln’s political enemies that he was a man who lived in the lowest Hoosier style, and I thought I would see for myself. Ac
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CHAPTER XXII. THE INAUGURATION.
CHAPTER XXII. THE INAUGURATION.
There were unusual circumstances attending the close of Mr. Lincoln’s journey to the Capital. So bitter was the feeling engendered among his opponents that plots were entered into against his life. Dr. Holland states that the President-elect was cognizant of his danger. An attempt was made to throw the train off the track on which he journeyed from Springfield. There was a rumor that when he reached Baltimore conspirators would surround his carriage in the guise of friends, and accomplish his as
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CHAPTER XXIII. THE WAR BEGINS.
CHAPTER XXIII. THE WAR BEGINS.
No President ever assumed office under such circumstances as Abraham Lincoln. Nominally chief magistrate of the whole United States, seven members of the confederation had already seceded. These were South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. Some had been hurried out of the Union by a few hot-headed politicians, against the wishes of a considerable part of their inhabitants. It is known that General Lee and Alexander H. Stephens, though they ultimately went wi
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CHAPTER XXIV. MR. LINCOLN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
CHAPTER XXIV. MR. LINCOLN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
And thus commenced the great war of the Rebellion—a war which in some respects has never had its parallel. Commencing but a few weeks after Mr. Lincoln’s administration began, it was at its last gasp when upon the 4th of March, 1865, he was for the second time inaugurated. If I were to write a full account of Mr. Lincoln’s administration, it must include a history of the war. I propose to do neither. As my title imports, I have aimed only to show by what steps a backwoods boy, born and brought u
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CHAPTER XXV. MR. LINCOLN AND THE LITTLE BOY—A GROUP OF ANECDOTES.
CHAPTER XXV. MR. LINCOLN AND THE LITTLE BOY—A GROUP OF ANECDOTES.
Ex-Governor Rice , of Massachusetts, tells a story of President Lincoln, which will prove of especial interest to my young readers. I transcribe it from the Union Signal : On an occasion (while he was in Congress) he and Senator Wilson found it necessary to visit the President on business, he says: “We were obliged to wait some time in the anteroom before we could be received; and, when at length the door was opened to us, a small lad, perhaps ten or twelve years old, who had been waiting for ad
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CHAPTER XXVI. MR. LINCOLN’S HUMANITY.
CHAPTER XXVI. MR. LINCOLN’S HUMANITY.
Martial law is severe, and, doubtless, not without reason. Desertion in time of war is a capital offence, and many a poor fellow suffered the penalty during the terrible four years of the civil war. Many more would have suffered but for the humane interposition of the President, who was glad to find the slightest excuse for saving the life of the unfortunate offender. As Dr. Holland observes, he had the deepest sympathy for the soldiers who were fighting the battles of their country. He knew som
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CHAPTER XXVII. ANECDOTES OF MR. LINCOLN.
CHAPTER XXVII. ANECDOTES OF MR. LINCOLN.
A man’s character often is best disclosed by trifling incidents, and it is for this reason, perhaps, that the public is eager to read anecdotes of its illustrious men. I shall devote the present chapter to anecdotes of President Lincoln, gathered from various quarters. I shall not use quotation-marks, but content myself with saying at the outset that they are all borrowed. At the reception at the President’s house one afternoon, many persons present noticed three little girls poorly dressed, the
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CHAPTER XXVIII. PRESIDENT LINCOLN AS A RELIGIOUS MAN.
CHAPTER XXVIII. PRESIDENT LINCOLN AS A RELIGIOUS MAN.
Soon after the death of Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Noah Brooks published in Harper’s Monthly an interesting article, devoted to reminiscences of his dead friend. From this article, I make a few extracts, for which my readers will thank me: “Just after the last Presidential election, he said: ‘Being only mortal, after all, I should have been a little mortified if I had been beaten in this canvass; but that sting would have been more than compensated by the thought that the people had notified me that all m
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CHAPTER XXIX. EMANCIPATING THE SLAVES.
CHAPTER XXIX. EMANCIPATING THE SLAVES.
The “great central act” of Mr. Lincoln’s administration, as he himself calls it, was the emancipation of the slaves. At the stroke of a pen the shackles fell from four millions of persons in a state of servitude. On the 1st of January, 1863, emancipation was proclaimed, and the promise was made that “the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” This important proclamation carried joy
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CHAPTER XXX. ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM.
CHAPTER XXX. ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM.
In hard and incessant labor, under a burden of care and anxiety that were making him an old man before his time, the term for which Mr. Lincoln was elected President passed slowly away. And the question came to the Nation, “Who shall be our next President? Shall it be the man who has led us thus far through the wilderness, or shall we make choice of another leader?” There was a difference of opinion. Some were in favor of General Fremont, many favored Mr. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury, an
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CHAPTER XXXI. THE SPEECH AT GETTYSBURG.
CHAPTER XXXI. THE SPEECH AT GETTYSBURG.
One of the most important and critical battles of the Civil War took place on the soil of Pennsylvania. The battle of Gettysburg commenced on the 1st day of July, 1863, and lasted for three days. The invasion of Pennsylvania by Lee’s forces was a bold turning of the tables upon the Federal forces, but fortunately they had a brave, cool, and skillful commander in General Meade, who beat back the Confederates with terrible loss. It is needless to say that excitement, amounting to panic, prevailed
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CHAPTER XXXII. THE CURTAIN FALLS.
CHAPTER XXXII. THE CURTAIN FALLS.
An Oriental monarch, fearing that in the plenitude of his power he might forget the common fate, engaged a trusted attendant from time to time to remind him of his mortality. Abraham Lincoln needed no such reminder. Before his first inauguration, and at intervals during his official life, he received frequent threatening letters, menacing him with death. These he kept in a package by themselves. Though he never permitted them to influence his action, they had their natural effect upon a mind and
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CHAPTER XXXIII. MR. HERNDON’S ESTIMATE OF MR. LINCOLN.
CHAPTER XXXIII. MR. HERNDON’S ESTIMATE OF MR. LINCOLN.
No one probably was better fitted to give a discriminating analysis of Mr. Lincoln’s character than Mr. W. H. Herndon, for more than twenty years his law-partner. From an address delivered at Springfield, Ill., Dec. 12, 1865, by that gentleman, I shall, therefore, quote freely, without indorsing everything that is said, but submitting it as the opinion of a man who knew Mr. Lincoln well: “Mr. Lincoln read less and thought more than any man in his sphere in America. No man can put his finger on a
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CHAPTER XXXIV. MR. LINCOLN’S FAVORITE POEM.
CHAPTER XXXIV. MR. LINCOLN’S FAVORITE POEM.
One evening when Mr. Carpenter, the artist, was alone with Mr. Lincoln in his study, the President said: “There is a poem that has been a great favorite with me for years, to which my attention was first called when a young man, by a friend, and which I afterward saw and cut from a newspaper and carried in my pocket till, by frequent reading, I had it by heart. I would give a great deal to know who wrote it, but I could never ascertain.” He then repeated the poem, now familiar to the public, com
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