My Experiences As a Member of President Lincoln's Bodyguard, 1863-65
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My Experiences as a Member of President lincoln's Bodyguard, 1863-65 By Smith Stimmel Following a three-month enlistment in Compal'o/ H, 85th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1862, Smith Stimmel (1842 - 1935), then a student at Ohio Wesleyan University, volunteered to reenlist as a member of the Union Light Guard, assigned to protect the president. After President Linwlru assassination in April 1865, the troop brieRy acted as bodyguard to Andrew johnson, before the men were discharged from the service in time for Stimmel to return to Ohio Wesleyan that Fall The story of Stimmels experiences with Abraham Linwln was retold mal'o/ times and written down in several versions, including one published injanuary 1927 in North Dakotd Historic;i/ QuarterfyVolume 1, Number 2 (the predecessor to North Dakotd History). The following has been excerpted from that article. uring the summer of 1863, Governor Tod of Ohio Our duries were to guard the front entrance ro [he White D visited Washington concerning the interest of his state House grounds, and to act as an escort to the president in the war, and when he called at the White House he whenever he went OUt in his carriage, or when he rode on became impressed with the idea that the president was not horseback, as he often did during the summer. sufficiently protected. He applied to the War Department We enjoyed our summer work much more than we did for permission to organize a troop of one hundred mounted the winter guard duty. During the hot summer months the men to be assigned to duty as President Lincoln's mounted president lived our at [he Soldiers' Home, north of tl1e city, body guard . That permission was given, and in o rd er to give and a li ttle beyond the ciry limits, on a slightly elevated the entire state of Ohio representation in such a troop he plat of ground, well shaded by a beauriful grove. There sent our a circula.r letter to the military committees of the was a modeSt [Wo-story brick dwelling connected with counties in the scate asking them to send in the name of the Soldiers' Home property, which was set apart for the a man they would recommend "for highly honorable and president's summer quarters. It was a pleasant country place, strictly confidential service," bur [he letter did not state what where the president could get a good night's rest, which he that service was to be. very much needed; bur [hat was about all the comfort he gOt I had already served a three months' term in the our of it. Our company furnished him an escort our in the army, but at that time was at my home on the farm near evening, and back to the White House in the morning. We Columbus. I was contemplating entering [he service again had tents our there in the grove for our sleeping quarters. when my attention was cal led to [he governor's letter This part of the service gave us an opportunity to see a and I was asked ifI was wi lling to enter that service. [ good deal of the daily life of the president, as he appeared said tl1at if the governor would accept me I was ready in his every-day clothes, when he could relax a little. Often to serve. One member of the military committee of our during the early part of the evening, after he had had his county was a neighbor of ours, and he gave me a letter supper, he would take a stroll down along the edge of [he of recommendation, which I presented to the governor grove where our tents were pitched, and have a little chat in person, and was accepted. When the organization was with [he lieurenant in command. Sometimes he would look completed we were all suppli ed with black horses and sent into the men's tents and have a passing word with them, to WashingtOn and placed on duty at the White House. or ask [hem if [hey were comfortably fixed. We always felt Governor Tod named the company the Union Light Guard. [hat the president took a personal interest in us. He never 6 North Dakora History - 2007 This heroic portrait of Abraham Lincoln by Thomas Hicks shows rhe statesman in a classic pose, holding his cape as a Roman would his toga. Painted about 1865, rhe image features volumes of ''jejfe,"Soll's Works, "and rhree pieces of paper reading "Constitution," " Union," and "Proclamation of Freedom," as well as a globe and an Ameri can Aag. Volume 74, Numbers 3 & 4 7 spoke absentmindedly, bur talked to his men as if he were thinking of them. President Lincoln was very tall , standing about six feet four in ches in his stocking feer. He was spare of fl esh, with large bones and strong frame, dark complexion, big hands and feet, (it took a good deal of leather to make him a pair of boots) . H e had a large, ex pressive mourh, a well formed nose, prominent cheekbones, and bl ack, coarse hair. His eyes were of a bluish grey, rather deeply sunk and of sad ex pression when in repose, but when animated by something of special interest they would light up with a good deal of brilliancy. Presid ent Lincoln was not very careful about the style and fit of his every-day clothes, and his every- day suit was evidently not made to o rder, for his arm s always seemed too long for his coat sleeves, and his legs toO long for his tro users. His summer coat was usuall y a cheap, black al paca, which hung quite loosely upon him, and was probably not expensive. H e wore an old fashion ed stovepipe silk hat which showed that it had seen considerabl e service. It had several dents in it and the fur or nap was usual ly rubbed the wrong way. I often wondered why the fur on the pres ident's hat was generally so mussed up, and fin ally [ had an opportunity to see what caused it, at least in part. One evening when we were going wi th the president out to his summer home we met an army offi ce r on horseback, in full dress uniform, bright and new, with a sash and Union Light Guard Sergeant Smith Stimmel poses on his horse Star, shining belt and a well adjusted military hat with a bright in Washington, D.C., in 1865. gold cord on it. His horse was rigged out with all the trappings belonging to an office r of rank, full y in keeping with the rider. As he approached us, he recognized the man she lunged forward and started down the street on a dead in the carriage as the president, and raised hi s hat with run. She fairl y flew past the pres ident' carriage though I all the grace and digni ty of a trained military man. The was doing my best to check her. T he large army bridle we president was busy looki ng over some papers as he rode used was severe enough to almost break a horse's jaw, and along, and did not notice that he was being saluted by an although I made the blood run from her mouth in a stream, officer until he was almost past, when he glanced up and it seemed to make no impress ion on her. I was afraid as saw the lifted har. He immedi atel y threw up hi s long arm we got down the street where there were more vehicles and and knocked off his tall hat, and then tumbled it back on pedestrians that she would run into a ca rri age or possibly kill hi s head and brought his big hand down on the crown to someone. For a moment I thought I would have to pull my press it firmly in pl ace. That was hi s return salute. I don't revolver and shOO t her in the back of the head. wish to give the impression that President Lincoln always There was a double track of old-fashioned fl atcar rails saluted in this way. That was merely a hurry- up salute. It was on the stree t, such as were in use in those days of horse-cars. his business to get his hat off quickl y, and the quickest way She suddenly took a di agonal course across the street and, he could do it was to knock it off. those fl at rails being wet and slippery, slipped on the ca r Later I had occasion to find out that the president could rails and, after an awkward slide, came to the ground with a give a graceful salute when occasion demanded ir. My crash. I stayed in the saddle with both of my feet touching mount was a handsome, black mare, bur one of the mo t the ground, and she lay on her side only long enough to vicious animals 1 ever saw handled. One morning we were catch her breath, and then she jumped up, taking me with coming in with the pres ident from his summer home; JUSt as her. She gave her head an angry shake, but her tantrum was we left the home grounds and turned into the street leading ove r. J rode back ro joi n the escorr. As I approached the into the city, she began one of her tantrums.