Logan County, Illinois - Chapter 14: Abraham Lincoln, 1911

The history of Logan County and the history of Abraham Lincoln impinge upon each other, where they do not run in parallel grooves. The history of Logan County could no more be written without frequent references to incidents in Lincoln's life, than could be written the history of the state, the nation or the world, without a record of Lincoln's deeds. From the time he came from Kentucky to Illinois, to the time he became President of the nation, his career was inseparably connected with the growth, progress and development of Logan County. He was Logan County's surveyor, Logan County's lawyer, and Logan County's friend. He formed and created the county, as far as its legal and government entity was concerned. He was the father of the bill that brought it into being and gave it constitutional life. He was the autocrat who said what territory it should and should not contain and how far its boundaries should extend. He was its adviser and advocate in all affairs of a legal trend and followed its fortunes, defending it at every turn, to the supreme tribunal of the state. He was the personal friend of the early settler and pioneer of the county, visited their homes, knew them by their Christian names, attended to their lawsuits, inspired them with his homespun integrity and entertained them with his ready jokes. Other localities may remember Lincoln as the President, the hero of the war, the saviour of his country and the martyr to a righteous cause, but to Logan County and Central Illinois alone belongs "the Lincoln of the black loam, who built his neighbor's cabin and hoed his neighbor's corn, followed a rough justice around a rough circuit, tended the bedside of many a sick coward, who feared the judgment - the same physician, who was to tend the bedside of the nation in her agony, whose large hand was to be on her feeble pulse and whose knowledge, almost divine, was to work out the miracle of her healing."

It was in 1831 that Abraham Lincoln came to Sangamon County, of which Logan County was then a part. He was then a young man, just turned of age and he located at Old Salem, in that portion of Sangamon which is now Menard County. Later he became postmaster, ran a store, split rails, looked after the mill and, with it all, barely earned a livelihood. All about him settlers were entering land and surveyors were in constant demand. John Calhoun was the County Surveyor for Sangamon County, which included Logan and Menard. He needed deputies, he paid them three dollars a day, then a princely wage, and he induced Lincoln to come into his office, study surveying and added him to his surveying staff. Calhoun was succeeded as County Surveyor in 1835, by Thomas M. Neale and Lincoln still retained his job. About this time, the town lot craze, referred to elsewhere, was at its height throughout Illinois. John Wright and John Donavan had entered land in what is now Logan County, near Rocky Ford. They decided that this was an excellent location for a new town. They applied to Mr. Neale to have their town surveyed and he sent his deputy, Abraham Lincoln, to do the job. Mr. Lincoln came, with his surveyor's instruments, to Rocky Ford, on June 16, 1836, and then and there laid out the proposed new town. It was called Albany, but despite its name, it never boasted a habitation, so far as known. But on the records of Logan County, one interested may find a rudely drawn plat of this forgotten town and underneath it these words: "I hereby certify that the above is a correct map of the Town of Albany, as surveyed by me. A. Lincoln, for T. M. Neale, S. S. C. Jan. 16, 1836." The initials stand for Surveyor of Sangamon County. The traveler crossing Rocky Ford today, little realizes that on the western bank of Salt Creek, Abraham Lincoln laid out a town, over eighty years ago, but the fact nevertheless remains. Another reminder of Lincoln's early days may also be found in the records of Logan County, where it is shown, that on March 21, 1838, Henry B. Truett gave two notes of $250 each to Abraham Lincoln and John T. Stuart, secured by mortgage on land in sections 19 and 24, in what is now Chester township, and upon which record these words are endorsed: "We do hereby certify that the within mortgage has this day been satisfied by William L. May. John T. Stuart, Abraham Lincoln."

In an account of the organization of Logan County, in another chapter, the participation of Mr. Lincoln in the creation of the county has been noted at length. In 1832, Sangamon County included, in addition to the present Sangamon, portions of what are now Logan, Christian and Menard. Salem, where Lincoln kept store, was in that portion of Sangamon, which is now Menard. The settlers of what is now Menard, began the agitation of a movement for a division of Sangamon County into four counties. One of these was to be Menard, with Old Salem the county seat, and one was to comprise territory now a part of Logan. The settlers around Springfield were opposed to the division, as a matter of course. To secure this division, it was necessary to have a representative in the Legislature at Springfield friendly to the new movement. In Salem, there resided a young man, popular, ambitious and abreast of the times. The settlers around Salem promptly brought forward his name, as their champion for a division of Sangamon into four parts and Abraham Lincoln thus. made his first entry into politics. The issue which therefore resulted in the creation of Logan County, was the issue which brought Lincoln into public life. Who knows but that for this he might never have come into popular favor, never have been President of the N ation, never have conducted a successful war, never have freed the slaves and never have been known to fame the wide world o'er? Upon such apparently unimportant affairs oftimes hang immortal things. Despite the fact that Mr. Lincoln received every one of the 277 votes in Salem precinct, he met defeat in this, his first political effort. Two years later, he was a candidate for the Legislature again and was successful. From 1834 to 1839, Abraham Lincoln, being a state representative from Sangamon County, of which Logan was then a part, was for those five years as much the representative of Logan County as of Sangamon and Abraham Lincoln was thus one of Logan County's first representatives in the General Assembly of Illinois. Lincoln's maiden speech at Salem, in 1832, is often quoted: "Gentlemen and Fellow Citizens: I presume you all know who I am. I am humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by my friends to be a candidate for the Legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like an old woman's dance. I am in favor of a national bank. I am in favor of the internal improvement system and a high protective tariff, If elected, I will be thankful; if not, it will be all the same."

In 1838, the movement for a division of Sangamon into four counties, was revived, this time with greater force, owing to the belief that Lincoln, who was then a power in the Legislature, would approve and further it. Petitions for and against the movement were poured in and all were referred to the Committee on Counties, of which Abraham Lincoln was Chairman. Mr. Lincoln, from this committee, promptly reported a bill "to establish the counties of Menard, Logan and Dane," with the recommendation that it pass. It was then referred to a special committee of five, and when this committee was appointed, Abraham Lincoln was at its head. The special committee reported favorably on the bill, later it became a law, Sangamon was shorn of three-fourths of her territory and the counties of Logan, Menard and Dane (later changed to Christian) were born. Was it accident or design, that the man who had been made a candidate for the Legislature, by the friends of county division, in 1832, was the chairman of the Committee on Counties, and chairman of the special committee who had this matter in charge, in the year 1839, And when it is remembered that there was strong opposition to this division, was it significant, at all, that one of the counties so created should bear the name of a member of that

Taken from a portrait presented by Mr. Lincoln to Jabez Capps, of Mount Pulaski, on one of Mr. Lincoln's visits to the Capps' home at that place same Legislature, a leader of influence in the southern part of the state and affiliated with the Democratic party, to which Mr. Lincoln did not belong - Dr. Logan, of Jackson County, Illinois? And would the honor thus conferred have or not have a tendency to bring to the support of the bill, so opposed, the votes of members from the party associates and neighbors of the man whose name Logan County now bears?

But not so much as legislator or surveyor was Mr. Lincoln best known to the early settlers and pioneers of this county. It was as a lawyer that he was better known. He was admitted to the bar in 1836 and moved from Salem to Springfield the next year. Sangamon County, of which Logan was a part, was originally in the First Judicial District, and so continued until 1839, the year Logan County was created. That year the famous Eighth District was formed, of Sangamon, Logan, McLean, Macon, Tazewell, Menard, Christian and Livingston counties. Sangamon and Logan continued together in the Eighth District until 1857. During that period, Judges Treat and Davis held the Logan County Circuit Court and Abraham Lincoln "traveled the circuit." During that period and in fact for several years later, there were comparatively few, even if any, terms of the Logan County Circuit Court, either at Postville, Mt. Pulaski or Lincoln, at which Abraham Lincoln was not present. When Lincoln first began to ride the circuit, he was too poor to own horseflesh or vehicle and was compelled to borrow from his friends. In due time, however, he became the proprietor of a horse, which he fed and groomed himself, and to which he was much attached. On this animal, he would set out from his home, to be gone for weeks, with no baggage but a pair of saddle bags containing a change of linen, and an old cotton umbrella to shield him from sun and rain. When he accumulated a little more of this world's goods, he set up a onehorse buggy, a sorry and shabby looking affair, which he generally used when the weather promised bad and this he frequently drove from Springfield into Postville and Mt. Pulaski. His journeys to Lincoln were after the railroad came and were always by rail. It was on this famous Eighth Circuit, of which Logan was a part, that Lincoln shone as a nisi prius lawyer, cracked his jokes, told his stories, fraternized with the people, entered into their joys and sorrows, and laid the foundations of his future greatness.

Lincoln was always welcomed on his semi-annual trips to Logan County, by all classes, especially by the tavern keepers, for during his stay at their hostelries, he was the life of the party. At Postville, he stopped at the old Deskins tavern, later managed by John Allison, and located on the south side of Fifth Street, across from the old Court House. Lincoln was always a leader in athletics and played ball and various games with the boys. Scores of old residents can remember seeing him out in the Postville park, after court had adjourned, in- dulging in a game of "town ball' - baseball had not then been invented. He was also quite fond of throwing the maul and frequently entered into a contest of this kind with John Allison. Allison always claimed that he could throw the maul two feet farther than could Lincoln, but John Mann, of Lake Fork, came into the game one day and threw the maul farther than either Lincoln or Allison.

An incident connected with Lincoln's stopping at the old Postville tavern, is thus told: At one time Lincoln came to Postville from Springfield, in company with Judge Treat, the two riding in Judge Treat's buggy. The occasion was a special term for the trial of a criminal. Treat and Lincoln stopped at the Deskins tavern. After they had gone to bed and everybody about the hostelry was asleep, there came a terrific pounding at the door. The landlord got up to let in the energetic assailer of the portal, who seemed to be assiduously in search of a drink of whisky and was in the parched condition of the traveler in the Sahara desert, to whom delay is intolerable. The landlord explained that he had no whisky in the house, whereupon his visitor wanted to know if he couldn't get it at some tavern or store. Wasn't there any place in the village where a drink of whisky could be had? To all these questions the landlord returned a negative and as the full horrors of his whiskyless situation burst upon him, the fellow said, with emotion, "Great Heavens! Give me an ear of corn and a tin cup and I'll make it myself." Lincoln and Judge Treat listened to this colloquy with great amusement, and the next morning Lincoln asked the landlord what had become of his guest. "Oh," he replied, "the fellow left before daylight." In after years, Lincoln frequently told this story to amused auditors and he always laid the scene of the anecdote at Postville. Judge Treat also used to tell that on one occasion, he and Lincoln, in going back from Postville to Springfield, in the former's buggy, while passing along the moonlit road, saw a polecat in the track before them. Treat was for driving right ahead, but Lincoln remarked that he had more experience with such matters than the Judge, took the lines out of the Judge's hand and drove out carefully into the timber, making a detour at a safe distance from the animal and then back into the road again. On returning the lines to the Judge, Lincoln remarked that he had been caught once and had learned, that in some cases, discretion was the better part of valor.

Judge Samuel C. Parks, of the Logan County bar, one of the earliest attorneys of the county, who was frequently associated with Lincoln in the trial of cases, and a close, particular friend of Mr. Lincoln, is authority for the following anecdotes, given by Ward H. Lamon, in his "Life of Lincoln," and given in Mr. Park's own language: "I have often said, that, for a man who was for a quarter of a century both a lawyer and a politician, he was the most honest man I ever knew. He was not only morally honest, but intellectually so. He could not reason falsely; if he attempted it, he failed. In politics, he would never try to mislead. At the bar, when he thought he was wrong, he was the weakest lawyer I ever saw. A man was indicted for larceny; Lincoln, Young and myself defended him. Lincoln was satisfied by the evidence that he was guilty and ought to be convicted. He called Young and myself aside and said: 'If you can say anything for the man do itd can't. If I attempt, the jury will see that I think he is guilty and convict him.' The case was submitted by us to the jury without a word. The jury failed to agree and before the next term, the man died. Lincoln's honesty undoubtedly saved him from the penitentiary. On another occasion, in a closely contested civil suit, Lincoln had proved an account for his client, who was, although he did not know it at the time, a slippery fellow. The opposing attorney then proved a receipt, clearly recovering the entire cause of action. By the time he was through, Lincoln was missing. The court sent for him to the hotel. 'Tell the judge,' he said, 'that I can't come; my hands are dirty and I came over to clean them.' In the case of Harris and Jones vs. Buckles, Harris wanted Lincoln to assist Young and myself. His answer was characteristic. 'Tell Harris it's no use to waste money on me in that case; he'll get beat.' "

The incident referred to by Judge Parks as to Lincoln's remarks about clean hands, is elaborated upon by other old settlers, who claim to recall it very well. From other recitals of the incidents, it seems to have occurred at Postville in 1843. Judge Treat was on the bench and the suit was with reference to the collection of a note. As the evidence came in, it showed that Lincoln's client had deceived him and that instead of having a good ground for action, he was in reality trying to collect the note a second time. When the evidence was all in, Lincoln left the old court house. When Judge Treat directed the lawyers to proceed with the argument Lincoln could not be found. The court sent the sheriff, John Deskins, to find him. Deskins found him in the old Postville park, a block down the road, playing town ball with the boys. When Deskins found him, Lincoln said: "Doc, tell the judge I can't come; my hands are dirty and I want to clean them." When Treat was notified of Lincoln's remark, it is reported that he simply said, "Honest Abe." It is more than likely that the later term, "Honest Old Abe," originated here.

In 1840, Abraham Lincoln tried a law suit, under a white oak tree on a farm which later belonged to Joseph Ream, north of Mt. Pulaski. The old Dement millstand, with its dam, was the first on Salt Creek and had rights that were encroached upon by a dam built a few miles below, known as the Spence dam. The water from the dam below, backed up to the Dement dam and stopped the great water wheel. Dement brought suit and employed Lincoln to prosecute the case. The trial was heard before a local justice of the peace, probably "Squire George W. Turley, a jury was empanelled, Lincoln made one of his characteristic arguments and Dement won the suit. Lincoln's participation in another mill case on Salt Creek is thus told by Joshua Dunnuck: "This case had been in litigation for some time, when Mr. Lincoln was employed by one of the parties. Mr. Lincoln proposed that the parties, with their attorneys, should meet on the premises at Salt Creek and make an effort at settlement. The attorneys on the opposite side failed to come but Mr. Lincoln was present. The whole thing was talked over by the parties, before Mr. Lincoln, arbitration was agreed upon and Mr, Lincoln was chosen arbitrator. He heard both sides and then rendered a decision that tradition declares was satisfactory to all concerned." Judge James T. Hoblit, of the Logan County bar, in Hill's "Lincoln as a Lawyer," gives this incident: "I shall never forget my experience with Mr. Lincoln. I was subpoenaed in a case brought by one Paullin against my uncle, and I knew too much about the matter in dispute for my uncle's good. The case was not of vital importance, but it seemed very serious to me, for I was a mere boy at the time. Mr. Paullin had owned a bull, which was continually raiding his neighbor's corn, and one day my uncle ordered his boys to drive the animal out of his fields, and not to use it too gently either. The boys obeyed the order only too literally, for one of them harpooned the bull with a pitchfork, injuring it permanently and I saw enough of the occurrence to make me a dangerous witness. The result was that Paullin sued my uncle, the boys were indicted for malicious mischief, Mr. Lincoln was retained by the plaintiff, who was determined to make an example of somebody, and I was subpoenaed as a witness. My testimony was, of course, of the highest possible importance, because the plaintiff couldn't make my cousins testify, and I had every reason to want to forget what I had seen, and though pretty frightened, I determined, when I took the stand, to say as little as possible. As soon as I told Mr. Lincoln my full name, he became very much interested, asking me if I wasn't some relative of his old friend, John Hoblit, who kept the half-way house between Springfield and Bloomington; and when I answered that he was my grandfather, Mr. Lincoln grew very friendly, plying me with all sorts of questions about family matters, which put me completely at my ease, and before I knew what was happening, I forgot to be hostile and he had the whole story. After the trial, he met me outside the court room and stopped to tell me that he knew I hadn't wanted to say anything against my people, but that though he sympathized with me, I had acted rightly and no one would criticize me for what I had done. The whole matter was afterward adjusted, but I

The records of the county, prior to 1857, being destroyed, no definite history can be given of Mr. Lincoln's legal work in the county during that period. The first case ever appealed to the Supreme Court from the Logan County Court finds Mr. Lincoln one of the attorneys. This was the case of Lucien B. Adams vs. the County of Logan. It arose over the removal of the county seat from Postville to Mt. Pulaski, was tried in 1849 and appealed that same year. The County of Logan was represented by Lincoln & Herndon. In the case of Edmunds vs. Myers, in 1854, also appealed from Logan County to the Supreme Court, the records show "A. Lincoln," as attorney for defendants, in error. In the following cases, also appealed from Logan County, Lincoln appeared as attorney: Myers vs. Turner, 1855; Hildreth vs. Turner, 1855; Turley vs. the County of Logan, 1855; St. Louis, Alton & Chicago Railroad Company vs. Dalby, 1857; Young vs. Ward, 1859; Gill vs. Hoblit, 1860. It will thus be seen that as late as 1860, Mr. Lincoln was appearing in cases in Logan County; in fact, the records indicate that he was practicing law in this county to within a few months of his election as President of the United States. The following is one of the instructions, written in Mr. Lincoln's own hand, in the files of one of the Logan County cases above referred to, namely, the St. Louis, Alton & Chicago Railroad vs. Joseph A. Dalby:

"The jury are instructed, that if they believe from the evidence, that the Railroad Company advertised that the fare on their road was three cents a mile, provided tickets were procured at their station offices, and they further believe that Elkhart was one of the regular passenger stations on the road, where tickets were usually kept and usually sold, that the plaintiff, on the fourth of April last, while the office was open at Elkhart and before the time of the cars starting, applied for a ticket and was told by the regular agent that he had none on hand and gave to the plaintiff a memorandum stating that he had applied for tickets, but that he was out of tickets and could not give him any and that when the conductor applied to plaintiff for a ticket, the plaintiff tendered to the conductor the fare from Elkhart to Lincoln, at the rate of three cents a mile, at the same time exhibiting to the conductor, the memorandum so obtained from the agent at Elkhart, then the plaintiff had a right to pass over the road and the conductor had no right to remove him; and if the jury further believe that the company authorized the conductors of their road to remove all passengers, who did not pay four cents a mile, when they had not regular tickets, and that in carrying out such direction of the company, the conductor and the brakeman committed an assault on the plaintiff, the company are responsible for the assault."

In 1846, Lincoln was nominated for the office of Congressman from the then Seventh Congressional District, of which Logan County was a part. His opponent was Peter Cartwright, the pioneer Methodist preacher, who made a campaign against Lincoln as vigorous as any of his camp meeting revivals. Both were well known in Logan County, for oftimes during court at Postville, Lincoln would try law suits in the old court house in the day time and Peter Cartwright would preach at night. In the election, Lincoln received 390 votes in Logan County and Cartwright 166 votes, Lincoln running seventy votes ahead of his ticket, and winning out in the district by a vote of 6,340 for Lincoln to 4,829 for Cartwright. In Congress, Lincoln distinguished himself only in one thing and that was his opposition to the Mexican War. His constituency here in Logan and in Sangamon were for the war, right or wrong. Lincoln believed it to be wrong, he said so, he opposed it and wrote Herndon, his law partner, justifying his course. It is a historical fact, not hitherto published. as far as the writer is informed, that on Lincoln's return from Congress, after his fight against the Mexican War, he was an exceedingly unpopular man at home. His biographers speak of Lincoln as having decided "'to retire' from Congress. A recent life of Lincoln, now in the writer's hands, says: "Undoubtedly, Mr. Lincoln could have had a renomination had he so desired, but he felt himself pledged not to seek a second term." Statements of this kind are in the nature of biographic heroics, but historically they are not true. Lincoln could not have had the renomination, however badly he might have wanted it, for the district was against him at that time. Judge Samuel C. Parks, of Logan County, was a delegate to the Congressional convention which nominated Judge Logan as Lincoln's successor and he is authority for the statement that he and one other delegate from Christian County were the only delegates in the convention, who were favorable to Lincoln's renomination. He also states that the Sangamon County delegation was a unit against Lincoln and even his law partner, Herndon, advocated Logan as a successor to Lincoln. on the theory that on the war question, Lincoln did not represent his district: In a few years, however, public opinion veered in Lincoln's direction and his course in this matter was in the end endorsed by the state at large and while, temporarily, it lost him a renomination in Congress, it was one of the many causes which ultimately resulted in making him President of the United States.

Another event of importance to Logan County, in the year 1853, was the naming of its present county seat. The coming of the railroad that year, the laying out of a town along its right of way, the vote removing the county seat from Mt. Pulaski to the site of the new town, all are elsewhere detailed in this volume. It will be recalled that when the proposition of removal was submitted to a vote, the location of the proposed county seat was described by section, township and range; for the new town and future county seat was then nameless. When it received a name, it received the name of Lincoln. In one sense, this naming of Logan County's principal town is remarkable; in another sense not so remarkable at all. It is remarkable in the sense that it is the only town on the habitable earth named for Abraham Lincoln before he was President of the United States. It is not remarkable, from the fact that it has already been shown in this chapter how closely identified he was with the county's career. Lincoln was not at that time wholly unknown to fame. He was a Whig leader in Illinois. He had been a leader for many terms in the General Assembly of Illinois. He had been instrumental in locating the capital at Springfield. He had served in Congress where he had been conspicuous, at least, as an opponent of the Mexican War. He was even then spoken of as a prospective candidate for United States Senator, three years later he received 110 delegate votes in a national convention for vice president of the United States, five years later was a candidate for United States Senator and seven years later elected President of the United States. He was well known as a lawyer throughout half the state. He was the author of the law creating Logan County. He was the lawyer for the county in its litigation. He was the personal lawyer of Latham, Gillett and Hickox, the proprietors of the new town. He transacted their business, severally and collectively. To him they went to have contracts drawn for the new site and for the purchase of the land on which it is now situated, as well as for a bill in the Legislature submitting to a vote of the people the question of a removal of the county seat to the proposed townsite. Subsequently he drew the contracts used in the purchase of lots in the new town. Is it any wonder that when it came to naming the town, its proprietors named it for their friend and legal adviser, just then coming into renown, Abraham Lincoln, of Central Illinois? Other towns have been named Lincoln, in memory of the President, the Emancipator and the hero of the war. The county seat of Logan is the only town on earth, named for him, before he had attained national and international fame - the only town named for hirn, with his approval and consent - and it is entitled to this name as against all compeers.

Histories written of Lincoln refer to him as a propertyless man. As an exception, they named the instance of his ownership of a lot in Lincoln, Illinois. This lot is located on the south side of the court house square and is now the property of David H. Harts. The history of the lot is as follows: At the original sale of town lots in Lincoln in 1853, lot number three, in block nineteen, was sold to Thomas Clark, of Springfield. He resold it February 14, 1857, to James Primm, a well known early settler. Mr. Primm was the first clerk of the Logan

County Court, by appointment of Judge Treat, was also the first Master in Chancery, was elected Recorder in 1843 and was Postmaster at Postville. In addition to these duties, he was an extensive speculator in lands. He finally found himself overloaded with real estate and went to New York in 1857, for the purpose of negotiating a loan upon his western lands. While in New York, he needed some ready money. He heard that Governor Joel Matteson, former Governor of Illinois, was in town. He was personally acquainted with Gov. Matteson and hunting him up, requested from him a loan of $400. Governor Matteson suggested that Mr. Lincoln was also in New York and that if Mr. Primm would sign a note and then get Mr. Lincoln to go his security on the same, he, Governor Matteson, would secure the money for him. Mr. Primm then hunted up Mr. Lincoln, who promptly endorsed Mr. Primm's note, he and Mr. Primm being old time friends and having been associated together for many years in the early courts of Logan County. When the note became due, however, Mr, Primm was not able to take it up and Mr. Lincoln paid the note. Subsequently, on March 11, 1858, Mr. Primm deeded to Mr. Lincoln lot three of block nineteen, in the town of Lincoln, to reimburse Mr. Lincoln for the payment he had made on the note. Mr. Lincoln was still the owner of this lot on the fatal night of April 14, 1865, when an assassin's bullet robbed the nation of its great protector and stopped the beating of the greatest heart in Christendom. Subsequently, in 1874, Mary Lincoln, widow of Abraham Lincoln, deeded her interest in the lot to her son, Robert T. Lincoln, and he, in turn, deeded the lot to David H. ee who now owns it.

An incident connected with this lot was thus told the writer by Lewis Rosenthal, Police Magistrate of the City of Lincoln, who knew Abraham Lincoln very well. Mr. Rosenthal said: "In 1858, I was deputy sheriff of Logan County and the sheriff was then the collector of taxes. Mr. Lincoln came to the court house in Lincoln that year to pay his taxes. Prior to this visit, I had been living near Mr. Lincoln's lot and the lot being unused and vacant, and knowing that Mr. Lincoln would not care, I put up a small temporary shed on his lot and stabled a few extra horses there for a short time. I had never had an opportunity to tell Mr. Lincoln what I had done, not having met him. When he came to the sheriff's office to pay his taxes on the lot, he greeted me cordially, as was his usual custom, and stated the object of his visit. While I was preparing the receipt, he happened to look out of the window and discovered the shed on his lot. 'Say, Rosenthal,' said he, 'isn't that my lot over there?' I told him that 'I guessed it was.' 'Well who put that shed up there?' inquired Mr. Lincoln. 'Well,' I replied, 'a fellow in town here, who had some extra horses, and wanted some temporary stable room, put up that shed, but the fellow is a good friend of yours.' 'That's all right,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'but that fellow, whoever he is, ought to pay my taxes. He is getting all the benefit out of

.the lot and I get none.' 'Well,' I replied, 'I know that fellow, Mr. Lincoln, and he won't pay a cent.' 'Well, who is he, anyway,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'If you must know, Mr. Lincoln,' I replied, 'I'm the fellow.' Lincoln looked at me a second or two, and with a twinkle in his eye, said, 'Hand over the receipt. I guess I'm in for it.' That same year he was stumping the state against Stephen A Douglas, for United States Senator."

The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 are historical events, in the annals of Illinois, that will be told and retold until time shall be no more. None of these set debates occurred in Logan County, but during that campaign, Douglas held a meeting at Lincoln and it is likely that very early in the campaign, Lincoln made a speech at Lincoln. A number of old settlers are positive that Lincoln spoke here quite early, that year, but no newspaper notice of the same can be found. A few years ago, considerable discussion arose throughout the country, as to where it was Lincoln delivered the address which contained the famous quotation: "You can fool part of the people all of the time and all of the people part of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." It was claimed by some to have occurred at Atlanta, on the occasion of the presentation of a cane to Mr. Lincoln, by Sylvester Strong, in 1859, but those present at that meeting, and still living, did not recall the utterance. J. L. Hill, of Fletcher, Ohio, formerly a Logan County resident, published a statement in the Cincinnati Enquirer, during this discussion, in which he stated that he heard the speech in which Mr. Lincoln made this utterance, that he remembered it distinctly, that it occurred at Lincoln, Illinois, on a stand erected on the northeast corner of the court house square, in the spring of 1858.

That Douglas spoke during this campaign in Lincoln, there is no question and that Lincoln was on the train which brought Douglas from Chicago to Lincoln, that he got off at Lincoln and was present in the tent when Douglas spoke, is not disputed. This Douglas meeting occurred September 4, 1858, and came between the Freeport speech of Aug. 27th and the Jonesboro speech of Sept. 15th, two of the dates of the seven joint debates. A monster Douglas demonstration had been arranged for Springfield that evening. Douglas had left Chicago on the morning train, and all along the road, Douglas adherents boarded the trail. Lincoln was also on the train, desiring to hear what Douglas would say and ready to take advantage of any indiscretions in the way of expressions, which Douglas might make, born in the heat of excitement and the adulation and plaudits of his friends. Lincoln was on the lookout for more arguments to use in the set debates yet to take place. At Atlanta, the train was saluted by the firing of a cannon, which was answered by two cannons mounted on flat cars, which were attached to the train. A band was also on hand and discoursed patriotic music. Douglas was greatly cheered. When it was discovered that Lincoln was aboard, he was called upon for a speech, but declined, with the excuse that it was Douglas' day.

When the train reached Lincoln, the Springfield State Register is authority for the statement that "the reception was a magnificent one." Across the principal streets a triumphant arch had been formed by a graceful combination of leaves, flowers and evergreens, while over it, waved a banner, with the inscription, "Douglas Forever.'"' The Lincoln House was profusely decorated and bore a banner, with the device: "Douglas; Champion of Popular Sovereignty."' A committee from Lincoln had met the Douglas train at Atlanta. The meeting was held in a circus tent. A circus was in town, at the time, and the Douglas adherents had hired the tent, for use for Douglas' speech, the speech coming after the afternoon circus performance. The tent was pitched on the triangular lot, now located near St. Patrick's Catholic church and occupied by the cement works. The crowd drawn by the circus and by the Douglas demonstration together, made of the day, quite an event and the new town was full of people. The procession which escorted Douglas from the Lincoln House to the tent was conspicuous for a float, containing thirty-two young ladies from Mt. Pulaski, each with a flag with the name of a state of the union upon it. Judge L. P. Lacey, of Mt. Pulaski was the president of the day and introduced Douglas to the audience. An account of meeting Lincoln on this occasion, was told by the late S. Linn Beidler, of Mt. Pulaski, in an article in the Lincoln Herald, dated Feb. 17, 1885. Mr. Beidler said:

"I was among the thousands, who attended the great meeting in Lincoln to hear Douglas. It was a wonder and surprise to know from whence came the throng, for in those days the prairies were sparsely settled. Arriving overland, with a delegation of other Democrats, (I was then a Buchanan postmaster), Lincoln was found to be in holiday attire. From appearances, some effort had been made at decorating. An evergreen arch spanned the street, north of the Lincoln House. On the arrival of the train, everybody was on the qui vive, to get first glimpse of the famous orator. and 'ere the train came to a stop, a surging crowd had surrounded it, giving vent to their feelings, by cheer after cheer, at sight of the Little Giant. The committee and crowd received him with open arms, as it were, a good view of which I obtained from a position taken in front of Stillman's. hardware store. While thus taking a survey of the surroundings, I noticed, among a few others, a tall, lean gentleman, get off the rear end of the train. whom I recognized as Mr. Lincoln, having seen him before. My attention was attracted to him, from the fact, that while Douglas was received and cheered to the echo, not a human shake of the hand was then and there tendered Mr. Lincoln. In a wandering and gawking manner, he slowly wended his way around the outskirts of the crowd, with a collapsed old fashioned valise doubled up under his arm, toward the Lincoln House. I have wondered, but never made inquiry, why he was thus neglected, but presume his friends failed to meet him, or did not know he was coming. That he had friends is not a question, but just then none appeared.

"To the great speech of the afternoon, which occurred in a great circus tent, south of town, I was an attentive listener, where Douglas appeared, the bold, defiant orator - what he proposed, must be accepted without question. Later in the day, I took the train, with a great, crushing crowd, to Springfield. Again I saw Douglas, surrounded with a cheering crowd of friends. After passing Elkhart, while still on the train, I went forward a car or two, and in looking for a seat, discovered but one vacant, and in that seat, I again recognized Mr. Lincoln. Again he was alone. With considerable timidity, being a young man, I took the liberty of introducing myself. Mr. Lincoln very graciously bade me sit down. Learning that I was from Mt. Pulaski, many inquiries followed, regarding his old friends, many of whom he had not met since the removal of the county seat to Lincoln. He made particular mention of Thomas P. Lushbaugh, Col. Whittaker, Jabez Capps and Squire Emmett. He had boarded with the two former. The day, in the light of future events, proved one of the most interesting of my life. Later Lincoln and Douglas, though divided in politics, were united for country. Both were great in the end. Then it was Douglas and Lincoln. In history, they still stand together, but Lincoln is first."

Another intensely interesting and important incident in connection with Lincoln and the Lincoln-Douglas debates, was thus vouched for by the late Dr. G. M. Angell, of Atlanta, in 1901, and as far as the writer knows, has never appeared in any Lincoln work. Dr. Angell says that Lincoln was in Atlanta, on August 26, 1858, the day before his famous Freeport speech. Dr. Angell says: "Lincoln was at that time counselor for Richard T. Gill, who had laid out the new town of Atlanta, and Mr. Lincoln stopped off at Atlanta, on his way to Freeport, to advise Mr. Gill, concerning some legal matters. Gill then owned a large frame building, the first floor of which was filled with a stock of merchandise. J had an office on the second floor in front, while back of my rooms was an apartment, which Gill and his partners used as a private consulting room. When Lincoln had transacted his business with Gill, he asked him if there was any quiet place where he could go so as not to be disturbed, for an hour or two, and said that he had to make a speech at Freeport, the next day, and wanted to think over what he was going to say. Gill took him to the consulting room, back of my office. A little later, I heard a voice, in a vigorous tone, begin 'Judge Douglas says' and then followed a speech to an imaginary audience. Gill came quietly up the stairway and whispered, 'Listen to Lincoln, he's practicing his Freeport speech.' Gill and I both listened to him for awhile. When, a few days later, we secured a printed account of the great debate at Freeport, between Lincoln and Douglas, we recognized, at once, those portions of the address which Lincoln had delivered to himself in Gill's back rooni in Atlanta."

Douglas' subsequent history is too well known to need repetition. The query put to him by Lincoln in the Freeport speech, above mentioned, resulted in Douglas' defeat for the Presidency, although it won for him a re-election to the senate. Judah Benjamin afterwards arrainged Douglas for answering the question put by Lincoln in a way which substantially repudiated the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court, upon which the South relied. In a subsequent speech, Benjamin said: "Senator Douglas allowed his knees to tremble, under stress of a local election. The senator faltered. He got the prize for which he faltered, but his success for the Senate, purchased for an ignoble price, has cost him the loss of the Presidency of the United States." It is also significant, that in 1859, when Mr. Lincoln was traveling to Columbus, Ohio, he said to Sylvester Strong, of Atlanta, who was accompanying him, that Mr. Douglas would be a candidate before the Democratic National Convention of 1860, and then added: "I know the constitution and temperament of Judge Douglas, and if he should be nominated and defeated, he will not live a year."" These words were absolutely prophetic. Once, after the great Douglas meeting in Lincoln, above described, did Douglas appear in Lincoln. That was in April of 1861, when the Chicago & Alton train carrying him through, stopped at Lincoln a minute or so, and he then said, to those assembled at the depot: "I have done my best to preserve peace, but now that war is upon us, the Government must be maintained at all hazards." That was his last day on earth, for that night his spirit took its flight and Stephen A. Douglas was no more.

Reference has already been made to the cane presented to Abraham Lincoln, at Atlanta, by Sylvester Strong. This occurred July 4, 1859. From current issues of the Bloomington Pantagraph and the Lincoln Herald, published at the very time, the writer has gathered the following facts as to this event. Atlanta had decided that year to celebrate the anniversary of the nation's birth, on "the Fourth of July." A committee was appointed, by the citizens, to secure a suitable speaker. Rev. E. J. Thomas, chairman of that committee, wrote to Mr. Lincoln, with a view to securing his services for that occasion. Lincoln replied that he wasn't worth a cent for such an occasion and recommended the committee to secure the services of James H. Matheny, of Spring- field, whom he said could make a good Fourth of July speech and added that if Matheny agreed to come he would come with him. Matheny agreed to come and did come, and Lincoln came with him. The meeting was held at Turner's Grove, near Atlanta. Rev. E. J. Thomas made an opening prayer, Dr. William T. Kirk read the Declaration of Independence, and James H. Matheny made the Fourth of July speech. There was music by the band and a glee club. L. D. Hamilton was president of the day, P. S. McGloughlin was chief marshal and B. F. Watson and Dr. Kerr, assistant marshals. After Matheny's address, Sylvester Strong stepped forward and in a few well chosen words, presented the cane to Mr. Lincoln, who up to that time, had taken no part in the exercises. This cane was a stick of orange wood, which an uncle of Amos C. Hall, of Atlanta, had brought from South America. Mr. Hall had given,it to Mr. Strong. Felix Ryan, of Lincoln, in examining it, discovered that it had the same number of knots, as the letters in Abraham Lincoln's name. Mr. Strong thereupon decided to give it to Mr. Lincoln. He therefore had Dr. Perkins, an Atlanta dentist, put a silver band around the cane and silver tops on the knots and had the following inscription engraved on the band: "Presented by S. Strong." The Pantagraph, in its account, said, "Mr. Lincoln responded to this personal compliment, in a short speech, abounding with beauty, wit and feeling."

The Congregational Society at Atlanta, had just completed the erection of a new church, which had not yet been seated and not yet formally dedicated. The night of the Fourth of July, they held a social at the church and invited Mr. Lincoln to attend. Mr. Lincoln was the guest of R. T. Gill and after supper, attended the church festival at the new Congregational church. During the evening, a local baker, James Wren, came forward to present to Mr. Lincoln a cake he had baked for the occasion, but became embarassed and stood before Mr. Lincoln, holding out the cake, being unable to give utterance to the little speech he had carefully prepared. The situation was a trying one, the speechless baker holding the cake before Lincoln, and apparently rooted to the spot. Lincoln saved the situation, by saying to those assembled, "Well, I'm not so hungry as I look." This broke the spell and everybody laughed, including the baker. Lincoln then accepted the cake, with thanks, and immediately turned around and presented it to the ladies of the church. It was then sold at auction and Rev. E. J. Thomas bought it.

The Lincoln Herald, of July 6, 1859, has this to say of the event above narrated: "The booming of cannon opened the day. A vast crowd from the country thronged the streets early. At ten o'clock, a procession was formed and started for Turner's Grove, one mile distant, and we are informed that when the head of the procession had reached the grove, the people were still forming at the rear in Atlanta. The procession, having reached the grove, there was music by the Atlanta band, prayer by E. J. Thomas, music by the Glee Club, an oration by Gen. J. H. Matheny, and then the presentation of a cane, by Sylvester Strong, an old soldier of the war of 1812, to A. Lincoln. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the occasion was the cane presentation to Mr. Lincoln. The cane is of South American orangewood, topped with North American buckhorn. It has a silver plate on top, bearing the words, "Presented by S. Strong." Strong and Lincoln are said to have become acquainted early in life, when each broke prairie, somewhere below Springfield. Upon a silver band, below the middle of the cane, is the first letter of Mr. Lincoln's name, and thence downward there is a knot for every other letter of his name, covered with a silver plate and inscribed with its appropriate letter. The silver plate work was executed by Dr. Perkins and the engraving by H. O. Rodgers, both of Atlanta. In the evening, a large and interesting assembly of the better class of people met in the Congregational church, the ladies of which had prepared an excellent ice cream entertainment, for the purpose of raising money to seat the building. We should like to speak at length, in approval of the Congregational church edifice, grounds, church officers and members, but our limits forbid. In response to toasts, speeches were made by the following: Rev. E. J. Thomas, Dr. Burrows, O. C. Dake, Rev. A. Semple, Rev. L. Taylor and Hon. S. C. Parks. Speeches at large were made by Gen. Matheny and Hon. A. Lincoln. Matheny quoted the poets and Lincoln talked about eating." As Mr. Dake, who was the editor of the Lincoln Herald, was present on this occasion, he likely wrote the above account and it is therefore reliable.

The Republican State Convention, which met at Decatur, May 9 and 10, 1860, was presided over in part, by Richard J. Oglesby, whose remains now rest on Elkhart Hill, in Logan County, where his latter days were spent. At this convention, Gov. Oglesby said: "I am informed that a distinguished citizen of Illinois, and one whom Illinois will ever delight to honor, is present, and I suggest that this body invite him to a seat on the stand, Abraham Lincoln." The scene which followed baffles description. Lincoln was carried to the stand by the hurrahing crowd. Later, Mr. Oglesby said: "There is an old Democrat outside, who has something he wishes to present to this convention." "Receive it! Receive it," cried the crowd. The door of the wigwam opened and in walked John Hanks, with two rails on his shoulder, bearing a banner, with the inscription, "Two rails, from a lot made by Abraham Lincoln and John Hanks, in the Sangamon bottom, in 1830." Again the crowd went wild, and later the convention instructed their delegates to the National Republican convention for Abra- ham Lincoln, for President of the United States. Still later, the Republican National convention, on May 18, 1860, nominated him for that high office, and the rest is known to all mankind. Especially in ogan County, where Lincoln was well and favorably known, his nomination was received with the most enthusiastic manifestations of delight. At Lincoln, guns were discharged, and at night great bonfires were built, tar barrels fired and crowds, assembling about the court house were addressed by Judge Parks, Robert B, Latham. William H. Young and others. The man for whom the town was named, was about to be President of 'the United States. In Atlanta, cannons were brought out and thirty-three rounds of ammunition fired in honor of the event. On June 2, a monster county ratification was held at Lincoln, and the entire country turned out on that occasion. Subsequently, when word came of Douglas' nomination, another ratification was held in Douglas' honor and this meeting was addressed by Judge L. P. Lacey, E. L. Austin, George H. Campbell and others.

The first organization of Lincoln, ''Wide-awakes" was formed at Atlanta, June 22, 1860, with H. N. Estabrook as captain, M. L. Fuller and Thomas Camerer as Lieutenants, J. H. Ball as Secretary and W. G. Whitehurst as Treasurer. They were addressed by Judge Lawrence Weldon, of Bloomington. In July, a company of ''Wide-awakes" seventy strong, was organized at Lincoln with W. H. Young as president, W. G. Starkey as vice president, E. W. Smith as secretary and W. D. Dustin, treasurer. A company was formed at Mt. Pulaski and was known as "the Lincoln Guards.'' In the council chamber of the City Hall, in Lincoln, is a rough sketch of Abraham Lincoln, in lampblack on coarse cloth. It is now covered with a glass, is enclosed in a frame and hangs in the place of honor over the Mayor's chair. It was executed by R. D. Neal and R. N. Lawrence, of Atlanta, the latter now of Lincoln. It is said by all who knew Lincoln to be an excellent likeness of him in 1860, when this sketch was drawn. It was used as a banner by the "Wide-awakes" of Atlanta. The first time it was carried by the Atlanta delegation, was at.a rally in Lincoln. The banner was held up to the view of each delegation, as it came in, and was greeted with enthusiastic cheers. The sketch is a profile view, showing Lincoln with his hair in careless disorder, as it usually looked when Lincoln was making a speech. Over the sketch are the words "The People's Choice." Another banner, carried in this campaign and executed by Dr. Lawrence and Mr. Neal, is now in possession of the former. It consists of two pictures, one of Lincoln and one of Hamlin, side by side. Above it is the inscription, "The Nation's Choice," and below it are representatives of a maul, an ax and a wedge. The likeness of Mr. Lincoln is a good one and the banner created such an im-

To a reporter of a Chicago newspaper in July, 1864, Mr. Lincoln said: "I feel a presentiment that I shall not outlast the war. When it is over, my work will be done." This prophetic utterance found its fulfillment in his assassination, April 15, 1865. Nowhere in America. were the people more greatly shocked over this tragedy than in Logan County. Here the same horror prevailed as elsewhere, over the calamity that had befallen the nation. In addition, however, was the poignant grief and sorrow, which follows the death of a personal friend. One of the Logan County soldiers of 106th Infantry, Logan County's regiment, writing home from Pine Bluff, Miss., where that regiment was in camp, when the tragedy occurred, said: "The news of the tragic death of Lincoln made the heart of every soldier sick. The camps became quiet and the men remained in their quarters, brooding over the matter, as though it was a personal and private calamity to each of them. The spirit of the man who had said, 'With malice toward none and charity for all,' had a secret influence over the soldiers throughout the camp, and when this influence was gone, in the announcement of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, it shed a gloom over the camps such as the death of the most loved commander would have created."

The funeral car, bearing the body of Mr. Lincoln, from Washington to Springfield, passed through Logan County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, early on the morning of May 3, 1865. It reached Atlanta at six o'clock. Minute guns, fife and muffled drum, greeted the train, just as the sun arose in splendor over the prairie. A large number of people had assembled and portraits of Lincoln with emblems of mourning were everywhere visible. Among the mottoes displayed were: "Mournfully, tenderly, bear him to his grave," and "He saved our country and freed a race." The train reached Lincoln about seven o'clock, a. m. A dispatch from Lincoln to the Chicago Tribune, of date May 3, 1865, says: "This town was named for Abraham Lincoln, by some personal friends before he was known to fame. The depot was appropriately draped in mourning, and ladies dressed in white, trimmed with black, sang a requiem, as the train passed under a handsomely constructed arch, on each column of which was a portrait of the deceased President. The arch bore the motto: 'With malice to none, with charity for all.' The national colors were prominently displayed, and a profusion, of evergreens, with black and white drapings, completed the artistic decorations." At Elkhart, a beautiful arch spanned the track, ornamented with evergreens and national flags, all draped in mourning. The arch was surmounted by a cross, formed of evergreens and bearing the motto: "Ours the cross, thine the crown."

The following affidavits, filed in the archives of Logan County, and now of record in the office of the Recorder and Circuit Clerk of the county, the same having been filed for the purpose of connecting title to property owned by Mr. Lincoln, are of interest, in that they are not only historic, but present some facts not generally known:

"State of Illinois, County of McLean: David Davis, being duly sworn, deposes and says that Abraham Lincoln, late of the County of Sangamon and State of Illinois, is dead; that he died on or about April 14, 1865, intestate, as it is said, that his estate will probably amount to the sum of $85,000, and that said Abraham Lincoln left, at the time of his decease, Mary Lincoln, his widow and Robert T. Lincoln and Thomas Lincoln, his children. Signed, David Davis."

"State of Illinois, Cook County: Henry W. Bishop, being first duly sworn, on oath deposes and says that he is a resident of the City of Chicago, County of Cook and State of Illinois, that he knew Thomas Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, during his lifetime, and up to the time of his death, which occurred about the year 1876, and that said Thomas Lincoln died, unmarried, leaving no wife or issue of his body him surviving. Signed, Henry W. Bishop."

"State of Illinois, Cook County: Robert T. Lincoln, being duly sworn, deposes and says, that Mary Lincoln, late of the County of Sangamon and State of Illinois, is dead; that she died on the sixteenth day of July, A. D., 1882, intestate, that her personal property will probably. amount to $90,000, and that said Mary Lincoln left, at the time of her decease, no husband and only one son, Robert T. Lincoln and no daughter or descendants of deceased daughter or deceased son. Signed, Robert T. Lincoln."

This ends the history of the great Lincoln, as it relates to the history of Logan County. Out of the eternal he came, spirit of the unpurpled people, and to the eternal he returned. He was safe, able and self-controlled. Not too radical, neither too conservative, he was endowed. with a wisdom comprehending every phase of human life, an ability to manage, without mistake, complications most intricate and a faith sufficiently sublime to remove mountains. Untouched by dogma, child of the elemental, a giant sprung from the loins of the common people and in touch with every gradation of their daily life, he saved the nation, gave liberty to a people and his name will ever live in every heart-beat of the human race - Abraham Lincoln!