Lamon, Ward H. The Life of Abraham Lincoln from His Birth to His Inauguration as President. Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1872. CHAPTER I. Birth. — His father and mother. ■ — History of Thomas Lincoln and his family a necessary part of Abraham Lincoln's biography. — Thomas Lincoln's ancestors. — Members of the family remaining in Virginia. — Birth of Thomas Lincoln. — Removal to Kentucky. — Life in the Wilderness. — Lincolns settle in Mercer County. — Thomas Lincoln's father shot by Indians. — Widow and family remove to Washington County. — Thomas poor. — Wanders into Breckinridge County. — Goes to Hardin County. — Works at the carpenter's trade. — Cannot read or write. — Personal appearance. — Called " Linckhom," or " Linckhern." — Thomas Lincoln as a carpenter. — Marries Nancy Hanks. — Previously courted Sally Bush. — Character of Sally Bush. — The person and character of Nancy Hanks. — Thomas and Nancy Lincoln go to live in a shed. — Birth of a daughter. — They remove to Nolin Creek. — Birth of Abraham. — Removal to Knob Creek. — Little Abe initiated into wild sports. — His sad- ness. — Goes to school. — Thomas Lincoln concludes to move. — Did not fly from the taint of slavery. — Abraham Lincoln always reticent about the history and character of his family. — Record in his Bible . 1 CHAPTER II. Thomas Lincoln builds a boat. — Floats down to the Ohio. — Boat capsizes. — Lands in Perry County, Indiana. — Selects a location. — Walks back to Knob Creek for wife and children. — Makes his way through the wilderness. — Settles between the two Pigeon Creeks. — Gentryville — Selects a site. — Lincoln builds a half-faced camp. — Clears ground and raises a small crop. — Dennis Hanks. — Lincoln builds a cabin. — State of the country. — Indiana admitted to the Union. — Rise of Gentryville. — Character of the people. — Lincoln's patent for his land. — His farm, cabin, furniture. — The milk-sickness. — Death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln. — Funeral discourse by David Elkin. — Grave. — Tom Lincoln marries Sally Bush. — Her goods and chattels. — Her surprise at the poverty of the Lincoln cabin. — Clothes and comforts Abe and his sister. — Abe leads a new life. — Is sent to school. — Abe's appearance and dress. — Learning " manners." — Abe's essays. — Tenderness for animals. — The last of school. — Abe excelled the masters. — Studied privately. — Did not like to work. — Wrote on wooden shovel and boards. — How Abe studied. — The books he read. — The " Revised Statute of Indiana." — Did not read the Bible. — No religious opinions. — How he behaved at home. — Touching recital by Mrs. Lincoln. — Abe's memory. — Mimicks the preachers. — Makes " stump-speeches " in the field. — Cruelly maltreated by his father. — Works out cheerfully. — Universal favorite. — The kind of people he lived amongst. — Mrs. Crawford's reminiscences. — Society about Gentryville. — His step-mother. — His sister. — The Johnstons and Hankses. — Abe a ferryman and farm-servant. — His work and habits. — Works for Josiah Crawford. — Mrs. Crawford's account of him. — Crawford's books. — Be- comes a wit and a poet. — Abe the tallest and strongest man in the settlement. — Hunting in the Pigeon Creek region. — His activity. — Love of talking and reading. — Fond of rustic sports. — Furnishes the literature. — Would not be slighted. — His satires. — Songs and chronicles. — Gentryviile as " a centre of business." — Abe and other boys loiter about the village. — Very temperate. — " Clerks " for Col. Jones. — Abe saves a drunken man's life. — Fond of music. — Marriage of his sister Nancy. — Extracts from his copy-book. — His Chronicles. — Fight with the Grigsbys. — Abe "the big buck of the lick." — "Speaking meetings" at 1 Gcntryville. — Dennis Hanks's account of the way he and Abe became so learned. — Abe attends a court. — Abo expects to be President. — Going to mill. — kickcd in the head by a horse. — Mr. Wood. — Piece on temperance. — On national politics. — Abe tired of home. — Works for Mr. Gentry. — Knowledge of astronomy and geography. — Goes to New Orleans. — Counterfeit money. — Fight with negroes. — Scar on his face. — An apocryphal story 19 CHAPTER III. Abe's return from New Orleans. — Sawing planks for a new house. — The milk-sickness. — Removal to Illinois. — Settles near Decatur. — Abe leaves home. — Subsequent removals and death of Thomas Lincoln. — Abe's relations to the family. — Works with John Hanks after leaving home. — Splitting rails. — Makes a speech on the improvement of the Sangamon River. — Second voyage to New Orleans. — Loading and departure of the boat. — " Sticks " on New Salem dam. — Abe's contrivance to get her off. — Model in the Patent Office. — Arrival at New Orleans. — Negroes chained. — Abe touched by the sight. — Returns on a steamboat. — Wrestles with Daniel Needham. 73 CHAPTER IV. The site of New Salem. — The village as it existed. — The first store. — Number of inhabitants. — Their houses. — Springfield. — Petersburg. — Mr. Lincoln appears a second time at New Salem. — Clerks at an election.— Pilots a boat to Beardstown. — Country store. — Abo as " first clerk" — " Clary's Grove Boys." —Character of Jack Armstrong. — He and Abe become intimate friends. — Abe's popularity. — Love of peace. — Habits of study. — Waylaying strangers for information. — Pilots the steamer " Talisman " up and down the Sangamon 85 CHAPTER V. Offutt's business gone to ruin. — The Black Hawk War. — Black Hawk crosses the Mississippi. — Deceived by his allies. — The governor's call for troops.— Abe enlists — Elected captain. — A speech. — Organization of the army. — Captain Lincoln under arrest. — The march. — Captain Lincoln's company declines to form. — Lincoln under arrest. — Stillman's defeat. — Wasting rations. — Hunger. — Mutiny. — March to Dixon.— Attempt to capture Black Hawk's pirogues. — Lincoln saves the life of an Indian. — Mutiny. — Lincoln's novel method of quelling it. — Wrestling. — His magnanimity. — Care of his men. — Dispute with a regular officer. — Reach Dixon. — Move to Fox River. — A stampede. — Captain Lincoln's efficiency as an officer. — Amusements of the camp. — Captain Lincoln re-enlists as a private. — Independent spy company. — Progress of the war. — Capture of Black Hawk. — Release. — Death. — Grave. — George W. Harrison's recollections. —Duties of the spy company. — Company disbanded. — Lincoln's horse stolen. — They start home on foot. — Buy a canoe. — Feast on a raft. — Sell the boat. — Walk again.— Arrive at Petersburg. — A sham battle 98 CHAPTER VI The volunteers from Sangamon return shortly before the State election. — Abe a candidate for the Legislature. — Mode of bringing forward candidates. — Parties and party names. — State and national politics. — Mr. Lincoln's position. —Old way of conducting elections. —Mr. Lincoln's first stump- speech. — " A general fight." — Mr. Lincoln's part in it. — His dress and appearance. — Speech at Island Grove. — His stories. — A third speech. — Agrees with the Whigs in the policy of internal improvements. — His own hobby. — Prepares an address to the people. — Mr. Lincoln defeated. — Received every vote but three cast in his own precinct. - 121 2 CHAPTER VII. Results of the canvass. — An opening in business. — The firm of Lincoln & Berry. — How they sold liquor. — What Mr. Douglas said. — The store a failure. — Berry's bad habits. — The credit system. — Lincoln's debts. — He goes to board at the tavern. — Studies law.— Walks to Springfield for books. — Progress in the law. — Does business for his neighbors. — Other studies. — Reminiscences of .J. Y. Ellis. — Shy of ladies. — His apparel. — Fishing, and spouting Shakespeare and Bums. — Mr. Lincoln annoyed by company— Retires to the country. — Bowlin Greene. — Mr. Lincoln's attempt to speak a funeral discourse. — John Calhoun. — Lincoln studies surveying. — Gets employment. — Lincoln appointed postmaster. — How- he performed the duties. — Sale of Mr. Lincoln's personal property under execution. — Bought by James Short. — Lincoln's visits. — Old Hannah. — Ab. Trent. — Mr. Lincoln as a peacemaker. — His great strength. — The judicial quality. — Acting second in fights. — A candidate for the Legislature. — Elected. — Borrows two hundred dollars from Coleman Smoot. — How they got acquainted. — Mr. Lincoln writes a little book on infidelity. — It is burnt by Samuel Hill 135 CHAPTER VIII James Rutledge. — His family. — Ann Rutledge. — John McNeil. — Is engaged to Ann. — His strange story. — The loveliness of Ann's person and character. — Mr. Lincoln courts her. — They are engaged to be married. — Await the return of McNeil. — Ann dies of a broken heart. — Mr. Lincoln goes crazy. — Cared for by Bowlin Greene. — The poem " Immortality." — Mr. Lincoln's melancholy broodings. — Interviews with Isaac Cogdale after his election to the Presidency. — Mr. Herndon's inter- view with McNamar. — Ann's grave. — The Concord cemetery. .159 CHAPTER IX. Bennett Able and family. — Mary Owens. — Mr. Lincoln falls in love with her. — What she thought of him. — A misunderstanding. — Letters from Miss Owens. — Mr. Lincoln's letters to her. — Humorous account of the affair in a letter from Mr. Lincoln to another lady 172 CHAPTER X. Mr. Lincoln takes his seat in the Legislature. — Schemes of internal improvement. — Mr. Lincoln a silent member. — Meets Stephen A. Douglas. — Log-rolling. — Mr. Lincoln a candidate for re-election. — The canvass. — " The Long Nine." — Speech at Mechanicsburg. — Fight. — Reply to Dr. Early. — Reply to George Forquer. — Trick on Dick Taylor. —