What a sad day it was when the news came that our "circuit rider," a young minister, who had so often been in our home, and who had enlisted, was killed at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in May, 1863.
Early in 1865, I saw my name in print for the first time by writing a letter for publication in the Children's Friend, published at Dayton, Ohio, in which I made the statement, "I am a Union boy fourteen years old, and wish the war was over."
After the war had continued a year and a half, with victories and defeats on both sides, the President, on the 22d of September, 1862, issued the provisional Emancipation Proclamation, which was to the effect that the South would be given from that time up to the first of January, 1863, to lay down their arms, keep their slaves, and find their proper places in the Union, otherwise a proclamation would be issued to set at liberty their slaves. The South did not accept the overtures of President Lincoln, and the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. It was issued as a war measure, upon military necessity, and on the condition that the traitor forfeits his property. After this the war, upon the part of the North, was not only to suppress the rebellion, but for the purpose of abolishing slavery, and the South fought not only to preserve the Confederacy, but for the institution of slavery itself. It was now a fight to finish upon both sides, and to settle great principles and interests.
Those were times that tried men's souls, but none were so tried as was the soul of him who stood at the helm and guided the ship of state in that stormy period of our country's history.
Throughout the war Mr. Lincoln was very kind and forbearing in his dealings with all classes of men. Many a deserter owed his life to the pardoning power of President Lincoln, one of whom I knew personally for many years. Besides his heavy duties as President, under such extraordinary circumstances, he went to extra trouble in relieving persons in many cases who came to him for help. George W. Wolf, an upright and influential citizen, who resides near Georgetown, Floyd County, Indiana, was corporal of Company C, of the Eighty-first Indiana Regiment, in the Civil War, and afterward sergeant of the Seventh Veteran Reserve Corps. At his home, November 26, 1904, he related to me the following incident, which came under his observation, showing the kind nature of President Lincoln:
"A young soldier, about twenty years of age, belonging to an Illinois regiment, was taken sick on the field, and sent to a hospital. For some time after his partial recovery he was not able for field service, and was put in the First Battalion Reserve Corps, which was in camp in the rear of the President's mansion. He came to me one day and said: 'Sergeant, what would you do if you had been sent from your company to a hospital, and then sent here, and could draw no money from the paymaster on account of not having a descriptive roll?'
"'I would send for it,' said I.
"'I have sent for it two or three times, but it never came,' said he.
"'Then I would go and see Uncle Abe,' said I.