Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, 1847-1865Lamon, Ward Hill
History
Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, 1847-1865
Lamon, Ward Hill
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
In the early part of the night my brother came to me and asked me
to join him in the search for Mr. Lincoln. He was greatly
disturbed. We drove rapidly to the Soldiers' Home, and as we neared
the entrance to the grounds we met a carriage. Behind it we could
see in the darkness a man on horseback. My brother, who seemed
unusually suspicious, commanded the party to halt. His order was
instantly obeyed. "Who are you?" he demanded, in the same
peremptory tone. A voice from within the carriage responded, "Why
do you ask?" The speakers recognized each other. The one in the
carriage was Secretary Stanton, and the man behind it was one of
his orderlies. "Where is Mr. Lincoln?" asked Stanton. "I have been
to the Soldiers' Home and he is not there. I am exceedingly uneasy
about him. He is not at the White House?" "No," said my brother,
"he is not there. I have looked for him everywhere." We hurried
back to the city. Arriving at the White House before Mr. Stanton,
we found Mr. Lincoln walking across the lawn. My brother went with
him to the War Department, and from there took him to his [Lamon's]
house, where Mr. Lincoln slept that night and the three or four
nights following, Mrs. Lincoln being at that time in New York.
(Signed) ROBT. LAMON.
My anxiety about Mr. Lincoln that evening grew out of a report of an
alarming character made to me by one of my detectives. Stanton had
threatening news also, and was therefore excited about Mr. Lincoln's
safety. He told me that he never had so great a scare in his life as he
had that night. The brusque Secretary thought the deputy marshal and I
were assassins. The incident provoked much merriment among the parties
concerned, no one enjoying the serio-comic part of it more than Mr.
Lincoln himself.
Meanwhile the conspirators, becoming alarmed for their own safety,
observed a stricter caution. Their movements were embarrassed by the
escort of cavalry which Mr. Lincoln was finally induced to accept, after
prolonged importunities by those who had certain knowledge of the
dangers to which he was exposed. Lost opportunities, baffled hopes,
exasperating defeats, served however only to heighten the deadly
determination of the plotters; and so matters drifted on until the day
of Mr. Lincoln's second inauguration. A tragedy was planned for that day
which has no parallel in the history of criminal audacity, if considered
as nothing more than a crime intended.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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