Produced by Chuck Greif, David Garcia and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) THE SOUTHERNER _A ROMANCE OF THE REAL LINCOLN_ BY THOMAS DIXON _"Have you never realized it, my friends, that Lincoln, though grafted on the West, is essentially, in personnel and character, a Southern contribution?"_--WALT WHITMAN. ILLUSTRATED BY J. N. MARCHAND NEW YORK AND LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1913 COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THOMAS DIXON _All rights reserved, including that of translation into all foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_ Printed in the United States of America * * * * * DEDICATED TO OUR FIRST SOUTHERN-BORN PRESIDENT SINCE LINCOLN, MY FRIEND AND COLLEGEMATE WOODROW WILSON * * * * * THE SOUTHERNER BOOKS BY MR. DIXON The Southerner The Sins of the Father The Leopard's Spots The Clansman The Traitor *** The One Woman Comrades The Root of Evil *** The Life Worth Living [Illustration: "From a thousand throats rose the cry: 'Lee to the rear!'"] TO THE READER _Lest my readers should feel that certain incidents of this story are startling and improbable, I wish to say that every word in it relating to the issues of our national life has been drawn from authentic records in my possession. Nor have I at any point taken a liberty with an essential detail in historical scenes._ THOMAS DIXON. CONTENTS PROLOGUE CHAPTER I. THE MAN OF THE HOUR II. JANGLING VOICES III. IN BETTY'S GARDEN IV. A PAIR OF YOUNG EYES V. THE FIRST SHOT VI. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS VII. LOVE AND DUTY VIII. THE TRIAL BY FIRE IX. VICTORY IN DEFEAT X. THE AWAKENING XI. THE MAN ON HORSEBACK XII. LOVE AND PRIDE XIII. THE SPIRES OF RICHMOND XIV. THE RETREAT XV. TANGLED THREADS XVI. THE CHALLENGE XVII. THE DAY'S WORK XVIII. DIPLOMACY XIX. THE REBEL XX. THE INSULT XXI. THE BLOODIEST DAY XXII. BENEATH THE SKIN XXIII. THE USURPER XXIV. THE CONSPIRACY XXV. THE TUG OF WAR XXVI. THE REST HOUR XXVII. DEEPENING SHADOWS XXVIII. THE MOONLIT RIVER XXIX. THE PANIC XXX. SUNSHINE AND STORM XXXI. BETWEEN THE LINES XXXII. THE WHIRLWIND XXXIII. THE BROTHERS MEET XXXIV. LOVE'S PLEDGE XXXV. THE DARKEST HOUR XXXVI. THE ASSASSIN XXXVII. MR. DAVIS SPEAKS XXXVIII. THE STOLEN MARCH XXXIX. VICTORY XL. WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "From a thousand throats rose the cry: 'Lee to the rear!'" _Frontispiece_. "'Be a man among men, for your mother's sake--'" "'Good-bye--Ned!' she breathed softly." "Betty glanced at the stolid, set face and firm lips." "'You're a brave man, Ned Vaughan.'" "Waving his plumed hat ... he put himself at the head of his troops and charged." LEADING CHARACTERS OF THE STORY