THE MARCH OF UNION TROOPS IN WASHINGTON.
On Good Fri-day, A-pril 14, 1865, it was four years from the “Sur-ren-der of Fort Sum-ter.” Ma-jor An-der-son had, then, when the foe’s guns struck the fort, hauled down the Stars and Stripes, and with great care, put the dear flag a-way to keep for a glad day which should come, and a large throng of folks from the North had come down to Port Roy-al and Charles-ton to raise, with words of praise and pray-er, o’er the ru-ins of Sum-ter, that same Flag of the Free in all its beau-ty.
Words were read from the Bi-ble, and all there who could sing, joined in a hymn. Then the Star Span-gled Ban-ner was flung to the breeze by Gen. Rob-ert An-der-son. The pa-tri-ot, Hen-ry Ward Bee-cher, gave at that time one of his great o-ra-tions. All hearts were thrilled.
The day was a glad one at the White House. The Pres-i-dent’s son, Capt. Rob-ert Lin-coln, of Grant’s staff, came home that morn, and told the tale of the last scene at Ap-po-mat-tox.
The fam-i-ly took break-fast and then the Pres-i-dent spent an hour with Mr. Col-fax, the Speak-er of the House. Grant came in and all were glad to see him. At 11 A. M. the Cab-i-net met.
There were man-y themes to speak of at that time, such as how to bring back the States which had left the Un-ion and what to do with those who led the re-volt.
In these first mo-ments which came af-ter the long four years of dark-ness, Lin-coln thought that the way to win the heart of the South was to be kind, and trust to their hon-or to stand by what the test of war had done. Of course they had been in the wrong and had lost their all, but, as broth-ers, the Pres-i-dent felt that it was as much to the in-ter-est of the North as it was to that of the South to take all means to heal wounds and lead and help the weak till strength came to them a-gain.
It was but a few nights be-fore, on A-pril 11, that the Pres-i-dent said words of this sort to the crowds which stormed the White House. In all the land, where true hearts beat for the Un-ion, there was joy. Bells rang, guns roared, and thanks went up to God for the great work He had done.
Lin-coln stood at the cen-tral win-dow of the White House and made his last pub-lic speech. It be-gan with these words: