Conneaut High School - Tattler Yearbook (Conneaut, OH)

Page 7 text:

C. J. FREW, The Florist, State St. Local Phone 281 5 In this sketch of Lincoln a portion of the Civil War must be related, for the Presidency of Lincoln and the Civil War are closely united. Fort Sumter on Charleston harbor was held by Major Anderson. General Beauregard sent a message to Anderson saying that he (Anderson) must surrender, but Anderson stoutly refused and immediately sent to New York for aid. For some reason the aid did not come, and after three days Anderson surrendered because all of his provisions were gone and the fort was completely demolished. President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers and the call was enthusiastically answered. While the troops were passing througn Baltimore they were assaulted by an angry mob, but after a fierce struggle they got to the station, bearing their dead and wounded with them. On ihe 3rd of May Lincoln called for 83,000 volunteers for three years, or during the war. After a long contest the Union soldiers under McDowell were repulso l by the Confederates and Johnston and Beauregard at Bull Run. rl:;e Union loss was 2,952 killed, wounded, and prisoners; that of the Confederates, 2,050. The generals of the war and Seward, the secretary of state, were always trying to tell Lincoln what to do, but he soon gave them to understand that he was President of the United States. In November the rebels Mason and Slidell started for England aboard the British mail-sleamer Trent, but they were captured by Captain Wilkes and lodged in Fort Warren. Lincoln said that they must be let go, and 'when questioned he only replied, “One war at a time.” In the year 1862 the battles fought and the operations were varied Forts Donelson and Henry were taken by the Union soldiers under General Grant with the aid of Admiral Foote. Grant repulsed Beauregard at Pittsburg Landing with a loss of 10,000 men to each army. About this time General Butler informed Lincoln that he (Butler) intended keeping Lie slaves that came to him as contrabands and this met the approval of the President. The Confederates had raised the Merrimac and had covered it witu iron and it had sallied out'of Norfolk and after capturing had sunk two of the Union ships. Then it waited for daylight to complete its work by destroying the Monitor, a little iron-clad one-turret boat, invented by Ericsson, which had come from New York during the night and in the morning drove the Merrimac back into Norfolk. The President issued a call for 400,000 men and $400,000,000. He also appointed Burnside in McClellan’s place to assume the command of the war. On January 1st, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves. After a long siege Grant took Vicksburg on the 4th of July, 1863, and Meade defeated Lee in a three days’ battle •U Gettysburg. It was at Gettysburg where Lincoln gave that immortal speech which has made his name famous. Lincoln was nominated and elected to his second term of office. As soon as General Grant heard of Lincoln’s election he telegraphed his congratulations and added that it was worth more than a victory won. On March 4th, 1865, Lincoln gave his last inaugural speech. During the war Lincoln displayed many characteristics. He possessed

Page 6 text:

4 THE TATTLE It LINCOLN AS PRESIDENT. The Republicans of the United States had decided to .have their convention on the 16th of May, 1860, so the Illinois Republicans assembled at Decatur on the 9th and 10th and determined to present Abraham Lincoln as their candidate for President. When the convention at Chicago opened on the 16th the candidates for President were: Chase, Cameron. Bates, Seward, and Lincoln. The first ballot gave Seward a large plurality, the second gave him a smaller one; but the third gave Lincoln an overwhelming majority. Meanwhile Lincoln had loitered about in the office of the Journal and when he heard of his nomination he departed to hi6 wife. He was elected to the office of president. On the morning of the 11th of February, 1861, Lincoln bade a kind farewell to his neighbors and friends who were gathered in front of the little station at Springfield. Then the Presidential train departed on its journey to Washington. Great precautions were taken from Harrisburg to Washington because it was reported that Lincoln would never get through Baltimore, but by changing the schedule everything went well. He arrived at Washington a few days before the inauguration. On the morning of the 4th of March, accompanied by President Buchanan, he went to the capitol building in a carriage. Justice Taney administered the oath of office. After this he delivered an address. While staying in the Minnesota Block Lincoln remarked that before the end of the war every church in Washington would be a hospital and that that building would be a place for the wounded, and before the war closed this prophecy became true. For his cabinet Lincoln appointed as follows: William K. Seward, secretary of state; Simon Cameron, secretary of war; Salmon P. Chase, secretary of treasury; Gideon Wells, secretary of navy; Caleb Smith, secretary of interior; Montgomery Blair, postmaster general, and Edward Bates, attorney general. A little of Buchanan’s administration must be told in order to be able to see the situation of affairs. No wonder that Buchanan did not make good for his cabinet was composed of disloyal men and outside of the cabinet there were many of the same ilk. Soon after it was known that Lincoln was elected seven states with South Carolina at the head seceded and four others soon followed.

Page 8 text:

6 THE TATTLER unfaltering courage in the nation’s darkest hours. Doubtless he feared at times, and all the country knew he suffered greatly, but in the darkest hours of the nation’s peril he could break away for a few minutes and tell a few stories. Once Mr. Arnold called and found Mr. Lincoln reading and smiling over a description of a visit to the army by Artemus Ward. Mr Arnold said, “How can you read this when the whole nation is bowed in sorrow?” Lincoln replied, “If I could not have an occasional vent I should die.” A little later Lincoln placed Grant in command and that brave general never stopped until Richmond was taken and Lee surrendered. On the night of the 14th of April Lincoln accompanied by his wife vent to Ford’s theatre because it would please the people and give him a rest. While enjoying the play John Wilkes Booth slipped up behind him and shot him. The bullet penetrated the President’s skull. He hardly moved in his chair, but unconscious was carried to a house across the street, where he died at 20 minutes after seven on the morning of the 15th of April. The nation was stricken with grief and thousands viewed the remains of the martyred President while they lay in state in the east room of the capitol. The life of America’s greatest statesman had come to an end. Some days after Booth was caught in a barn and shot by a soldier. CARLYLE HAMMOND, ’It. CHESTER WINFIELD’S LAST TRACK MEET. The spring term of Morse High School was half over. The annual field meet was only three weeks’ distant and Chester Winfield was doubtful as to his rating in his studies. If he only knew what the Exam, to be given in Math, was, so that he might prepare and make his rating to that required for him to be eligible for the track meet, be would have no doubt about himself, for in the meet the year before he had carried away man individual honors for himself and second honors for Morse Hi. Prof. Brown, the instructor of the French classes, was the coach of the track team and he told Winfield one day after practice that he depended upon him in many events because the new members were not showing up as they should. The teams were 'working hard and were out for first honors at the meet in which five other large schools participated. On Tuesday morning the Math, class had just been called and Prof. Williamson having left his grade book in the office, asked Winfield if he would get it for him. When Winfield reach the office he saw at once the familiar book and a few papers scattered upon the desk. Picking up the book he saw at the top of one of the papers the word “Mathematics,” and giving a careful look at the questions, he saw that they were questions on work which the Math, class had passed over. He thought that now he would pass the Exam, on the following Thursday with a good mark. Reaching the class he gave the book to the Professor and returned to his seat. Winfield took the Exam., and, although the questions did not seem like the ones on the paper he had seen in the office, he found that he was well prepared to answer them. He passed the Exam, with high grade.