Earl y CoricfW racier BBOUT the middle of August, 1862, Com pany K of the One hundred and fifth Pennsylvania volun- . teers. known as the L& -.vhich I was a private, di| was detailed ns a bodyguard of Presi- JwmL dent Lincoln and continued in that ca pacity until his assassination In the Imi spring of 1865. During the three years Wfll: of my stay in Washington, the most W critical period of the nation's history, I <lj|B saw and heard many things that have ttSuj never found their way into the public vW/f prints. Some of the bodyguard were in Constantly with the president and his family, whether at fashionable levees, receptions to foreign legations or pri vate interviews. At all such functions we were silent spectators of all that took place. We were always treated with the high est respect by the Lincoln family, who re garded us as a part of the household. Every private of the guard received the same atten tiftns of courtesy as the most famous states man or diplomat at the capital. We all formed a strong personal attachment for the presi dent and when the grand old man laid down his life in behalf of the cause that had been his life work we felt as if we had lost the dearest friend we ever had. During the first two years of our term of service the most rigid discipline was enforced. Sometimes we would be ordered to use ex traordinary vigilance and to let no one enter the grounds of the White House without the proper passes and to be very particular as to who approached the president. Often the or der would come for the guards on duty to be doubled. It was seldom that he knew the direct cause of these extra precautions, but we supposed that the officers of the secret service were in possession of information of some plot that brooded harm to the presi dent. Up to 1864, owing to our vigilance and the protecting hand of Providence, our beloved chief had escaped the hand of violence. The back of the confederacy was broken, a good feeling pervaded all Washington and conse quently the strict watchfulness that had pre vailed grew into laxity. This was the fatal period, for it was at this time that conspira cies were hatched and confederates overran the city, comparatively unmolested. The pres ident and family spent the summer at the sol dier's home, situated about three miles north of the city, and thither the bodyguard always accompanied them. It was in the summer of 1864, while we were up at the home, that an incident hap pened that came very near culminating in just such an awful tragedy as followed only a few months later at Ford's theater. It was the custom of the president to remain late at the war department when anything of great importance was happening in the army, con sulting with the secretary of war and trans mitting and receiving dispatches, and after ■ his work was finished he would ride out to the soldiers' home. That summer he had per sistently refused an escort, imagining himself perfectly secure. One night about the middle of August I was doing sentry duty at the large gate through which entrance was had into the grounds at the home. The place is situated about a quarter of a mile off the Bladensburg road and is reached by a devious driveway. About one o'clock I heard a rifle shot in the direction of the city and shortly afterward could hear approaching hoofbeats. In two or three minutes the horse came near enough BO that in the dim moonlight I recognized the rider as the belated president. The horse, a very spirited one, belonging to Lamon, the marshal of the District of Colum bia, was Mr. Lin coln's favorite sad dle animal and when he was in the White House sta bles he always chose him. As horse and rid er approached the gate I noticed that the president was bareheaded. After I had asssited hirn in checking his steed the presi dent said to me: "He came pretty near getting away with me, didn't he? He took the bit in his teeth before I could draw the reins." I then asked him where his hat was and he replied that somebody had fired a gun off down at the foot of the hill, which scared his horse, and the lurch of the animal toppled his hat off. I led the horse to the cottage where the presi dent and his family was staying. There he dis mounted and went in. Thinking the proceeding a little strange, a corporal and I started In the direction from which the report of the gun had been heard, to investigate. When we came to the place where the driveway meets the main road we found the president's hat—a plain silk hat—and on examin ing it found a bullet hole through the corner of the crown. The shot had been fired upward and it was evident that the person who had fired it had secreted himself close to the roadside. We listened and searched the locality thoroughly, but to no avail. The next day I gave Mr. Lincoln his hat and called his attention to the bullet hole. He uncon cernedly remarked that It was put there by some foolish gunner and was not intended for him. He said, however, that he wanted the matter kept quiet and admonished us to say nothing about it. The next fall, after we had taken up our win ter quarters at the White House, a conspiracy to kidnap the president was unknowingly frustrated by us. Had the truth of the affair leaked out at the time it doubtless would have created great excitement Our quarters were immediately in front of the south porch of the Executive Man sion, a position which placed us at about equal distance from the treasury building on the east and the war and navy building on the west. For reasons at the time unknown to us we were ordered to move our guard tent and place it at the west end of the gravel walk, directly in the rear of the war department. While we utayed there nothing occurred to arouse suspi cion. Shortly afterward we learned, however, that on the very night after we had moved the tent the confederates had a plan laid to capture the president. The conspirators were to hide in the shrubbery and when the president came along CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1910 I ' r '•rrTgrri""--»"- J T~(rnTHTi —ri —rrifr- O' ~t -Tr-*. the walk they were to seize, gag and carry him across tho river Into Virginia. Thence he was to be taken to Richmond or some other confed erate stronghold, where he was to be held as a hostage. The members of the bodyguard always supposed that the conspirators were frightened away when they saw our guard tent and abandoned the plan of kidnapping. Not long after the attempted kidnapping an other episode took place, which afterward was found to have been planned by a band of assas sins who made their headquarters in the city. Bourke, tho veteran coachman, who had served at the White House through Pierce's and Buchan an's administrations and thus far Into Lincoln's, was taken sick and compelled to be off duty. Immediately a stranger, who represented him self as an experienced coachman from Baltimore, applied at the White House and was employed as coachman. From the first he was domineer ing and after a few weeks became so important that he was discharged and Bourke reinstated. One night shortly afterward, just about dusk, the discharged coachman was seen sneaking around tho stables by some of the guard. The stables had been locked for the night and it was not supposed that he could do any damage and consequently the men who saw him did not go to the stables. Presently the whole interior of the barns was found to be on fire. The guard was called out and by dint of great exertion we saved the president's coach and team, but Tad Lincoln's ponies and Col. Hay's carriage team perished in the flames. The plan was to have this man fire the stables and thus to distract our attention. Dur ing the excitement some of the conspirators were ready to rush into the White House and murder the president, but instead of remaining in the house Mr. Lincoln ran out among us and thus in all probability frustrated another attempt at assassination. What makes this appear more likely now is the fact that, after the incendiary was arrested he produced several witnesses, who later found employment at Ford's theater, to testify that he was down in the city during the whole of the evening. These were tho persons who doubtless planned the final conspiracy that brought tha great benefactor to the grave. ilf you are a business man, did you ever think of the field of opportunity that advertis ing opens to you? There is almost no limit to the possi bilities of your business if you study how to turn trade into your store. If you are not get ting vour shara of the business of vour community there's a reason. People go where they arc attracted where they know what they can get and how much it is sold for. If you make direct statements in your advertising see to it that you are able to fulfill every promise you make. Yo„ will add to your business reputa tion and hold your customers. It will not cost as much to run i •_ .u:. your ad in this paper as you tkinl- T> is tVi» nrrci'tpnt ad trunk, it is tnc persistent a.Q v»rticpr «,hn cr*t* T4av> veruser vvno tncrc. rici\c something in the paper every issue, no matter how small. We will be pleased to quote you our advertising rates, par ticularly on the year's busi n-co 11C93. MAKE YOUR APPEAL q to the public through the flak columns ot this paper. With every issue it carries wf % its message into the homes 1 -snd nf the neoole ® anu uves oi uie peopic. Your competitor has his store news in this issue. Why don t you have yours? Don't blame the people for flocking to his store. They know what he has. T*l-Ml Gives you the reading matter io M M 5& no tnc "Sipon which you have the greatest in .■! —— terest —the home news. Its every issue will prove a welcome visitor to every member of the family- II should head your list of newspaper and periodical subscriptions. G.SCHMIDT'S, 1 — HRADQUARTERS FOB FRESH BREAD, J PODUlaf FANCY CAKES, SIM A ICE Cf.EAM, I* # CONFECTIONERY Daily Delivery. All orders given prompt and * skillful attention. r Enlarging Your Business tlf you are in annually, and then carefully business and you note the effect it has in in want to make creasing your volume of busi more money you ness; whether a io, 20 or 30 will read every P«r cent increase. If you word we have to watch this gain from year to say. Are you T ou w ''l become intensely in spending your terested in your advertising, money for ad- and how you can make it en vertising in hap- largo your business, hazard fashion If you try this method we as if intended believe you will not want to for charity, or do you adver- let a single issue of this paper tise for direct results? goto press without something Did you ever stop to think from your store, how your advertising can be We will be pleased to hav« made a source of profit to you call on us, and we will you, and how its value can be take pleasure in explaining measured in dollars and our annual contract for so cents. If you have not, you many inches, and how it can be are throwing money away. used in whatever amount that Advertising is a modern teems necessary to you. business necessity, but must If 3'ou can sell goods over be conducted on business the counter we can also show principles. If you are not you why this paper will best satisfied with your advertising serve your interests when you you should set aside a certain want to reach the people of amount of money to be spent this community. JOB PRINTING 1 can do that class just a little cheaper than the other fellow. Wedding invitations, letter heads, bill heads, sale bills, statements, dodgers, cards, etc., all receive the same careful treatment —just a little better than seems necessary. Frompt delivery always. ———CHM^ 3
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