JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
I didn't know whether to post this in the post-war forum or this- please excuse and move if it's in the wrong place? The subjects of the stories the author is recalling in May of 1865 take place during the war, could belong in either forum? If the writing is a little rough, it'll be because these copy/pastes are a little arduous to clean up sometimes. Easy to miss mistakes.
I just like interviews where Lincoln is alive and speaking- if you're not a fan, maybe stop here, since it's vintage Abe.
Found this in a Lockport, New York paper, from May, 1865
Lockport, New York, May 1865
The artist Carpenter contributes to this week's Independent another interesting 'Chapter, of remininscence of Mr. Lincoln ', He says.
MR. LINCOLN AND THE "PETROLEUM V. NASBY"
In a corner of his desk he kept a copy of some humorous work, and it was frequently his habit, when greatly fatigued, annoyed or depressed, to take this up and read a chapter with great relief. The Saturday evening before he left Washington, to go to the front, just previous to the capture of Richmond, I was with him from ten o'clock till nearly twelve. It had been a very hard day with him. The pressure of office seekers was greater at this juncture than I ever knew it to be, and he was almost worn out Among the callers that evening was a party composed of a Senator, a Representative, an ex-Lieut. Governor of a western State, and several private citizens. They had business of great importance, involving the President's examinationof voluminous documents. Pushing everything aside, he said to one of the party. "Have you seen the Nasby papers?" "No, I have not," was the answer. "Who is Nasby?" "There is a chap out in Ohio,"returned the President, "who has been writing a series of letters in the newspapers under the signature of Petroleum V. Nasby. Some one sent me a pamphlet collection of them the other day. I am going to write to Petroleum to come down here, and I intend to tell him if he will communicate his talent to me I will swap places with him." There upon he arose, went to a drawer in his desk, and, taking out the letters, he sat down and read one
to the company, finding in their enjoyment of it the temporary excitement and relief which another man would have found in a glass of grog. The instant he had ceased, the book was thrown aside, his countenance relapsed its habitual serious expression, and the Business was entered with the utmost carefulness.
HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE REBEL PEACE COMMISIONERS
Among his stories freshest in my mind, one which he related to me shortly after its occurrence belongs to the history of that famous interview on board the River Queen at Hampton Roads, between himself and Secretary Seward and the rebel Peace Commisioners. It was reported at the time that the President told a " little story" on that occasion, and the inquiry went around among the newspapers, "What Was It". The New York Herald published what purported to be a version of it, but the point was entirely lost, and it attracted no attention. Being in Washington a few days subsequent of the interview with the Peace Commisioners (my previous sojourn there having terminated about the 1st of last August). I asked Mr. Lincoln if " it was true that he told Stephens, Hunter and Campbell a story ? " Why, yes," he said,manifesting some surprise, but has it leaked out? I was in hopes nothing would be said about it, lest some over-sensitive people should imagine there was a degree of levity in the intercourse between us." ' He then went on to relate the circumstances which called it out. ' You see," said he, "we had reached and were discussing the slavery question. Mr. Stephens said, substantially, that the slaves, always accustomed to an overseer, and to work upon compulsion, suddenly freed, as they would be if the South should consent to peace on the basis of the emancipation proclamation, would precipitate not only themselves but the entire southern society into irremediable ruin. No work would be done, nothing would be cultivated, and both black and white would starve.
Said the President, " I waited for Seward to answer that argument, but as he was silent. I at length said : 'Mr. Stephens, you ought to know a great deal better about this matter than I, for you have always lived under the slave system. I can only say in reply to your statement of the case, that it reminds me of a man out in Illinois by the name of Case, undertook, a few years ago, to raise a very large herd of hogs. It was a very great trouble, on how to feed them, and how to get around this was a puzzle to him. At length he hit on the plan of planting an immense field of potatoes, and when the potatoes were sufficiently grown he turned the whole herd into the field, and let them have full swing—thus saving not only the labor of feeding the hogs, but also that of digging the potatoes! Charmed with his own sagacity, he stood one day leaning against the fence, counting his hogs, when a neighbor came along. 'Well, well, said he, 'Mr. Case, this is all very fine. Your hogs are doing very well just now ; but you know out here in Illinois the frost comes early, and the ground freezes for a foot deep. Then what are they going to do?This was a view of the matter Mr. Case had not taken into account. Butchering time for hogs was away on in December or January. He scratched his head and at length stammered, ' Well, it may come pretty hard on their snouts, but I don't see but that it will be root hog or die!'"
He did not tell me that either of the Commisioners made any reply to this way of " putting things.'' It is very evident, that there was little more argument necessary, on one side of the question at least!
A STORY OF ANDREW JOHNSON.
Mr. Lincoln told us the story of " Andy Johnson ", as he was familiarly in the habit of calling him. It was a few weeks prior to the Baltimore Convention, before it was known that Dover or Johnson would be the nominee for the Vice Presidency. Said he, "I had visit last night from Col. Moody, 'the fighting Methodist parson," as he is called in Tennesee. He is on his way to the Philadelphia Conference, and being in Washington over night came up to see me. He told me this story of Andy Johnson and General Buel, which interested me intensely. Colonel Moody was in Nashville the day it was reported that Buel had decided to evacuate the city. The rebels, strongly reinforced, were said to be only two days march of the city. Of course the city greatly was excited. Said Moody, I went in search of Johnson at the edge of the evening, and found him at his hotel, chatting with two gentlemen, who were walking the floor with him, one on each side.
As I entered they retired, leaving me alone with Johnson, who came up to me saying with intense feeling: 'Moody, we are sold out! Buel is a traitor! We are going to evacuate the city, and in forty-eight hours we shall all be in the hands of the rebels! Then he commenced pacing the floor again, twisting his hands and chaffing like a caged tiger, utterly insensible to his friend's entreaties to become calm Suddenly he turned and said: 'Moody, do you pray?" 'That is my business, sir, as a minister of the Gospel," returned the Colonel. 'Well, Moody, I with you would pray,' said Johnson; and instantly both went down on their knees at opposite sides of the room. As the prayer became fervent, Johnson began to respond in true Methodist style. Presently he crawled over on his hands and knees to Moody's side, and put his arm over him manifesting the deepest emotion. "Closing the prayer with a hearty 'Amen !' from each they arose. Johnson took a long breath and said, with emphasis,' Moody, I feel better ! ' Shortly afterward he asked, Will you stand by me ?' 'Certainly, I will,'was the answer. 'Well, Moody, I can depend upon you, you are one in a hundred thousand'. He then commenced pacing the floor again. Suddenly he wheeled, the current of his thought having changed, and said, 'Oh Moody, I don't want you to think I have become a religions man because I asked you to pray. I am sorry to say it, but I am not,and have never pretended to be religious. No one knows this better, than you; but Moody, there is One thing about it. I do believe in Almighty God and I believe also in the Bible, and I say He be d*mmed if Nashville shall be surrendered!' "
And Nashville was not surrendered.
I just like interviews where Lincoln is alive and speaking- if you're not a fan, maybe stop here, since it's vintage Abe.
Found this in a Lockport, New York paper, from May, 1865
Lockport, New York, May 1865
The artist Carpenter contributes to this week's Independent another interesting 'Chapter, of remininscence of Mr. Lincoln ', He says.
MR. LINCOLN AND THE "PETROLEUM V. NASBY"
In a corner of his desk he kept a copy of some humorous work, and it was frequently his habit, when greatly fatigued, annoyed or depressed, to take this up and read a chapter with great relief. The Saturday evening before he left Washington, to go to the front, just previous to the capture of Richmond, I was with him from ten o'clock till nearly twelve. It had been a very hard day with him. The pressure of office seekers was greater at this juncture than I ever knew it to be, and he was almost worn out Among the callers that evening was a party composed of a Senator, a Representative, an ex-Lieut. Governor of a western State, and several private citizens. They had business of great importance, involving the President's examinationof voluminous documents. Pushing everything aside, he said to one of the party. "Have you seen the Nasby papers?" "No, I have not," was the answer. "Who is Nasby?" "There is a chap out in Ohio,"returned the President, "who has been writing a series of letters in the newspapers under the signature of Petroleum V. Nasby. Some one sent me a pamphlet collection of them the other day. I am going to write to Petroleum to come down here, and I intend to tell him if he will communicate his talent to me I will swap places with him." There upon he arose, went to a drawer in his desk, and, taking out the letters, he sat down and read one
to the company, finding in their enjoyment of it the temporary excitement and relief which another man would have found in a glass of grog. The instant he had ceased, the book was thrown aside, his countenance relapsed its habitual serious expression, and the Business was entered with the utmost carefulness.
HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE REBEL PEACE COMMISIONERS
Among his stories freshest in my mind, one which he related to me shortly after its occurrence belongs to the history of that famous interview on board the River Queen at Hampton Roads, between himself and Secretary Seward and the rebel Peace Commisioners. It was reported at the time that the President told a " little story" on that occasion, and the inquiry went around among the newspapers, "What Was It". The New York Herald published what purported to be a version of it, but the point was entirely lost, and it attracted no attention. Being in Washington a few days subsequent of the interview with the Peace Commisioners (my previous sojourn there having terminated about the 1st of last August). I asked Mr. Lincoln if " it was true that he told Stephens, Hunter and Campbell a story ? " Why, yes," he said,manifesting some surprise, but has it leaked out? I was in hopes nothing would be said about it, lest some over-sensitive people should imagine there was a degree of levity in the intercourse between us." ' He then went on to relate the circumstances which called it out. ' You see," said he, "we had reached and were discussing the slavery question. Mr. Stephens said, substantially, that the slaves, always accustomed to an overseer, and to work upon compulsion, suddenly freed, as they would be if the South should consent to peace on the basis of the emancipation proclamation, would precipitate not only themselves but the entire southern society into irremediable ruin. No work would be done, nothing would be cultivated, and both black and white would starve.
Said the President, " I waited for Seward to answer that argument, but as he was silent. I at length said : 'Mr. Stephens, you ought to know a great deal better about this matter than I, for you have always lived under the slave system. I can only say in reply to your statement of the case, that it reminds me of a man out in Illinois by the name of Case, undertook, a few years ago, to raise a very large herd of hogs. It was a very great trouble, on how to feed them, and how to get around this was a puzzle to him. At length he hit on the plan of planting an immense field of potatoes, and when the potatoes were sufficiently grown he turned the whole herd into the field, and let them have full swing—thus saving not only the labor of feeding the hogs, but also that of digging the potatoes! Charmed with his own sagacity, he stood one day leaning against the fence, counting his hogs, when a neighbor came along. 'Well, well, said he, 'Mr. Case, this is all very fine. Your hogs are doing very well just now ; but you know out here in Illinois the frost comes early, and the ground freezes for a foot deep. Then what are they going to do?This was a view of the matter Mr. Case had not taken into account. Butchering time for hogs was away on in December or January. He scratched his head and at length stammered, ' Well, it may come pretty hard on their snouts, but I don't see but that it will be root hog or die!'"
He did not tell me that either of the Commisioners made any reply to this way of " putting things.'' It is very evident, that there was little more argument necessary, on one side of the question at least!
A STORY OF ANDREW JOHNSON.
Mr. Lincoln told us the story of " Andy Johnson ", as he was familiarly in the habit of calling him. It was a few weeks prior to the Baltimore Convention, before it was known that Dover or Johnson would be the nominee for the Vice Presidency. Said he, "I had visit last night from Col. Moody, 'the fighting Methodist parson," as he is called in Tennesee. He is on his way to the Philadelphia Conference, and being in Washington over night came up to see me. He told me this story of Andy Johnson and General Buel, which interested me intensely. Colonel Moody was in Nashville the day it was reported that Buel had decided to evacuate the city. The rebels, strongly reinforced, were said to be only two days march of the city. Of course the city greatly was excited. Said Moody, I went in search of Johnson at the edge of the evening, and found him at his hotel, chatting with two gentlemen, who were walking the floor with him, one on each side.
As I entered they retired, leaving me alone with Johnson, who came up to me saying with intense feeling: 'Moody, we are sold out! Buel is a traitor! We are going to evacuate the city, and in forty-eight hours we shall all be in the hands of the rebels! Then he commenced pacing the floor again, twisting his hands and chaffing like a caged tiger, utterly insensible to his friend's entreaties to become calm Suddenly he turned and said: 'Moody, do you pray?" 'That is my business, sir, as a minister of the Gospel," returned the Colonel. 'Well, Moody, I with you would pray,' said Johnson; and instantly both went down on their knees at opposite sides of the room. As the prayer became fervent, Johnson began to respond in true Methodist style. Presently he crawled over on his hands and knees to Moody's side, and put his arm over him manifesting the deepest emotion. "Closing the prayer with a hearty 'Amen !' from each they arose. Johnson took a long breath and said, with emphasis,' Moody, I feel better ! ' Shortly afterward he asked, Will you stand by me ?' 'Certainly, I will,'was the answer. 'Well, Moody, I can depend upon you, you are one in a hundred thousand'. He then commenced pacing the floor again. Suddenly he wheeled, the current of his thought having changed, and said, 'Oh Moody, I don't want you to think I have become a religions man because I asked you to pray. I am sorry to say it, but I am not,and have never pretended to be religious. No one knows this better, than you; but Moody, there is One thing about it. I do believe in Almighty God and I believe also in the Bible, and I say He be d*mmed if Nashville shall be surrendered!' "
And Nashville was not surrendered.
Bringing the