Lincolniana; Or, The Humors of Uncle Abe — John Shaqi
Lincolniana; Or, The Humors of Uncle AbeAdderup, Andrew
General
Lincolniana; Or, The Humors of Uncle Abe
Adderup, Andrew
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Anecdotes
On a late occasion, when the White House was open to the public, a
farmer from one of the border counties of Virginia told Uncle Abe that
the Union soldiers, in passing his farm, had helped themselves not only
to hay, but his horses, and he hoped the President would urge the proper
officer to consider his claim immediately. "Why, my dear sir," replied
Uncle Abe, blandly, "I couldn't think of such a thing. If I considered
individual cases, I should find work for twenty Presidents!" Bowie urged
his needs persistently; Uncle Abe declined good-naturedly. "But," said
the persevering sufferer, "couldn't you just give me a line to Colonel
------- about it? just one line?" "Ha, ha, ha!" responded amiable Uncle
Abe, shaking himself fervently, and crossing his legs the other way,
"that reminds me of old Jack Chase out in Illinois." At this the crowd
huddled forward to listen. "You have seen Jack--I knew him like a
brother--used to be a lumberman on the Illinois, and he was steady
and sober, and the best raftsman on the river. It was quite a trick
twenty-five years ago to take the logs over the rapids, but he was
skillful, with a raft, and always kept her straight in the channel.
Finally a steamboat was put on, and Jack--he's dead now, poor
fellow!--was made captain of her. He used to take the wheel going
through the rapids. One day, when the boat was plunging and wallowing
along the boiling current, and Jack's utmost vigilance was exercised to
keep her in the narrow channel, a boy pulled his coat tail, and hailed
him with, 'Sir, Mister Captain! I wish you'd just stop your boat a
minute--I've lost my apple overboard!'"
Uncle Abe on the Whisky Question.
A committee, just previous to the fall of Vicksburg, solicitous for the
_morale_ of our armies, took it upon themselves to visit the President
and urge the removal of General Grant. .
"What for?" asked Uncle Abe.
"Why," replied the busy-bodies, "he drinks too much whisky."
"Ah!" rejoined Uncle Abe, "can you inform me gentlemen, where General
Grant procures his whisky?"
The committee confessed they could not.
"Because," added Uncle Abe, with a merry twinkle in his eye, "If I can
find out, I'll send a barrel of it to every General in the field!"
The delegation retired in reasonable good order.
Edwards vs. Lincoln.
One day soon after Uncle Abe began the canvass with Judge Douglas
for the United States Senate, Lincoln, an Editor, accosted Nivian W.
Edwards, (Uncle Abe's brother-in-law,) as Mr. Lincoln himself.
"Well," said Edwards, "I think I must be growing taller and uglier every
day, for this is the sixth time I've been taken for Abe within a week."
Notwithstanding Edwards was a Democrat and a joker, Uncle Abe made him a
commissary in the army.
Metalic Ring.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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