Lincoln's Autobiographies

Ã‚				Sangamon River in it. This is the time and the
Ã‚ December 20, 1859				manner of Abraham's first entrance into
I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County,				Sangamon County. They found Offutt at
Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia,				Springfield, but learned from him that he had failed
of undistinguished families-- second families,				in getting a boat at Beardstown. This led to their
perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my				hiring themselves to him for twelve dollars per
tenth year, was of a family of the name of				month each, and getting the timber out of the
Hanks, some of whom now reside in Adams, and				trees and building a boat at Old Sangamon town
others in Macon Counties, Illinois. My paternal				on the Sangamon River, seven miles northwest
grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emigrated from				of Springfield, which boat they took to New
Rockingham County, Virginia, to Kentucky, about				Orleans, substantially upon the old contract.
1781 or 2, where, a year or two later, he was				During this boat-enterprise acquaintance with
killed by indians, not in battle, but by stealth, when				Offutt, who was previously an entire stranger, he
he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. His				conceived a liking for Abraham, and believing he
ancestors, who were Quakers, went to Virginia				could turn him to account, he contracted with him
from Berks County, Pennsylvania. An effort to				to act as clerk for him, on his return from New
identify them with the New-England family of the				Orleans, in charge of a store and mill at New
same name ended in nothing more definite, than a				Salem, then in Sangamon, now in Menard County.
similarity of Christian names in both families, such				Hanks had not gone to New Orleans, but having a
as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham, and				family, and being likely to be detained from home
the like.				longer than at first expected, had turned back
My father, at the death of his father, was but six				from St. Louis. He is the same John Hanks who
years of age; and he grew up, litterally [sic]				now engineers the "rail enterprise" at Decatur, and
without education. He removed from Kentucky to				is a first cousin to Abraham's mother. Abraham's
what is now Spencer County, Indiana, in my				father, with his own family and others mentioned,
eighth year. We reached our new home about				had, in pursuance of their intention, removed from
the time the State came into the Union. It was a				Macon to Coles County. John D. Johnston, the
wild region, with many bears and other wild				stepmother's son, went with them, and Abraham
animals, still in the woods. There I grew up. There				stopped indefinitely and for the first time, as it
were some schools, so called; but no qualification				were, by himself at New Salem, before
was ever required of a teacher beyond "readin,				mentioned. This was in July, 1831. Here he rapidly
writin, and cipherin" to the Rule of Three. If a				made acquaintances and friends. In less than a
straggler supposed to understand latin happened				year Offutt's business was failing--had almost
to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked				failed--when the Black Hawk war of 1832 broke
upon as a wizzard [sic]. There was absolutely				out. Abraham joined a volunteer company, and, to
nothing to excite ambition for education. Of				his own surprise, was elected captain of it. He
course when I came of age I did not know much.				says he has not since had any success in life
Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher to				which gave him so much satisfaction. He went to
the Rule of Three; but that was all. I have not				the campaign, served near three months, met
been to school since. The little advance I now				the ordinary hardships of such an expedition, but
have upon this store of education, I have picked				was in no battle. He now owns, in Iowa, the land
up from time to time under the pressure of				upon which his own warrants for the service
necessity.				were located. Returning from the campaign, and
I was raised to farm work, which I continued till I				encouraged by his great popularity among his
was twenty-two. At twenty one I came to Illinois,				immediate neighbors, he the same year ran for
and passed the first year in Macon County. Then I				the legislature, and was beaten,--his own precinct,
got to New-Salem (at that time in Sangamon,				however, casting its votes 277 for and 7 against
now in Menard County), where I remained a year				him--and that, too, while he was an avowed Clay
as a sort of Clerk in a store. Then came the				man, and the precinct the autumn afterward
Black-Hawk war; and I was elected a Captain of				giving a majority of 115 to General Jackson over
Volunteers--a success which gave me more				Mr. Clay. This was the only time Abraham was
pleasure than any I have had since. I went the				ever beaten on a direct vote of the people. He
campaign, was elated, ran for the Legislature the				was now without means and out of business, but
same year (1832) and was beaten--the only time				was anxious to remain with his friends who had
I ever have been beaten by the people. The				treated him with so much generosity, especially
next, and three succeeding biennial elections, I				as he had nothing elsewhere to go to. He studied
was elected to the Legislature. I was not a				what he should do--thought of learning the
candidate afterwards. During this Legislative period				blacksmith trade--thought of trying to study
I had studied law, and removed to Springfield to				law--rather thought he could not succeed at that
practise it. In 1846 I was once elected to the				without a better education. Before long, strangely
lower House of Congress. Was not a candidate				enough, a man offered to sell, and did sell, to
for re-election. From 1849 to 1854, both inclusive,				Abraham and another as poor as himself, an old
practiced law more assiduously than ever before.				stock of goods, upon credit. They opened as
Always a whig in politics, and generally on the				merchants; and he says that was the store. Of
whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses--I				course they did nothing but get deeper and
was losing interest in politics, when the repeal of				deeper in debt. He was appointed postmaster at
the Missouri Compromise aroused me again. What				New Salem--the office being too insignificant to
I have done since then is pretty well known.				make his politics an objection. The store winked
If any personal description of me is thought				out. The surveyor of Sangamon offered to
desirable, it may be said, I am, in height, six feet,				depute to Abraham that portion of his work
four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing on an				which was within his part of the county. He
average one hundred and eighty pounds; dark				accepted, procured a compass and chain, studied
complexion, with coarse black hair, and grey				Flint and Gibson a little, and went at it. This
eyes--no other marks or brands recollected.				procured bread, and kept soul and body together.
Ã‚ June 1860				The election of 1834 came, and he was then
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809,				elected to the legislature by the highest vote cast
then in Hardin, now in the more recently formed				for any candidate. Major John T. Stuart, then in full
county of La Rue, Kentucky. His father, Thomas,				practice of the law, was also elected. During the
and grandfather, Abraham, were born in				canvass, in a private conversation he encouraged
Rockingham County, Virginia, whither their				Abraham [to] study law. After the election he
ancestors had come from Berks County,				borrowed books of Stuart, took them home with
Pennsylvania. His lineage has been traced no				him, and went at it in good earnest. He studied
father back than this. The family were originally				with nobody. He still mixed in the surveying to pay
Quakers, though in later times they have fallen				board and clothing bills. When the legislature met,
away from the peculiar habits of that people. The				the lawbooks were dropped, but were taken up
grandfather, Abraham, had four brothers--Isaac,				again at the end of the session. He was reelected
Jacob, John, and Thomas. So far as known, the				in 1836, 1838, and 1840. In the autumn of 1836
descendants of Jacob and John are still in Virginia.				he obtained a law license, and on April 15, 1837,
Isaac went to a place near where Virginia, North				removed to Springfield, and commenced the
Carolina, and Tennessee join; and his descendants				practice--his old friend Stuart taking him into
are in that region. Thomas came to Kentucky,				partnership. March 3, 1837, by a protest entered
and after many years died there, whence his				upon the "Illinois House Journal" of that date, at
descendants went to Missouri. Abraham,				pages 817 and 818, Abraham, with Dan Stone,
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came				another representative of Sangamon, briefly
to Kentucky, and was killed by Indians about the				defined his position on the slavery question; and
year 1784. He left a widow, three sons, and two				so far as it goes, it was then the same that it is
daughters. The eldest son, Mordecai, remained in				now. The protest is as follows:
Kentucky till late in life, when he removed to				"Resolutions upon the subject of domestic slavery
Hancock County, Illinois, where soon after he died,				having passed both branches of the General
and where several of his descendants still remain.				Assembly at its present session, the undersigned
The second son, Josiah, removed at an early day				hereby protest against the passage of the same.
to a place on Blue River, now within Hancock				"They believe that the institution of slavery is
County, Indiana, but no recent information of him				founded on both injustice and bad policy, but that
or his family has been obtained. The eldest sister,				the promulgation of Abolition doctrines tends
Mary, married Ralph Crume, and some of her				rather to increase than abate its evils.
descendants are now known to be in				"They believe that the Congress of the United
Breckenridge County, Kentucky. The second				States has no power under the Constitution to
sister, Nancy, married William Brumfield, and her				interfere with the institution of slavery in the
family are not known to have left Kentucky, but				different States.
there is no recent information from them.				"They believe that the Congress of the United
Thomas, the youngest son, and the father of the				States has the power, under the Constitution, to
present subject, by the early death of his father,				abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, but that
and very narrow circumstances of his mother,				the power ought not to be exercised unless at
even in childhood was a wandering laboring-boy,				the request of the people of the District.
and grew up literally without education. He never				"The difference between these opinions and those
did more in the way of writing than to bunglingly				contained in the above resolutions is their reason
write his own name. Before he was grown he				for entering this protest.
passed one year as a hired hand with his uncle				"Dan Stone,
Isaac on Watauga, a branch of the Holston River.				"A Lincoln,
Getting back into Kentucky, and having reached				"Representatives from the County of Sangamon."
his twenty-eighth year, he married Nancy				In 1838 and 1840, Mr. Lincoln's party voted for
Hanks--mother of the present subject--in the				him as Speaker, but being in the minority he was
year 1806. She also was born in Virginia; and				not elected. After 1840 he declined a reelection to
relatives of hers of the name of Hanks, and of				the legislature. He was on the Harrison electoral
other names, now reside in Coles, in Macon, and in				ticket in 1840, and on that of Clay in 1844, and
Adams counties, Illinois, and also in Iowa. The				spent much time and labor in both those
present subject has no brother or sister of the				canvasses. In November, 1842, he was married
whole or half blood. He had a sister, older than				to Mary, daughter of Robert S. Todd, of
himself, who was grown and married, but died				Lexington, Kentucky. They have three living
many years ago, leaving no child; also a brother,				children, all sons, one born in 1843, one in 1850,
younger than himself, who died in infancy. Before				and one in 1853. They lost one, who was born in
leaving Kentucky, he and his sister were sent, for				1846.
short periods, to A B C schools, the first kept by				In 1846 he was elected to the lower House of
Zachariah Riney, and the second by Caleb Hazel.				Congress, and served one term only,
At this time his father resided on Knob Creek, on				commencing in December, 1847, and ending with
the road from Bardstown, Kentucky, to Nashville,				the inauguration of General Taylor, in March 1849.
Tennessee, at a point three or three and a half				All the battles of the Mexican war had been
miles south or southwest of Atherton's Ferry, on				fought before Mr. Lincoln took his seat in
the Rolling Fork. From this place he removed to				Congress, but the American army was still in
what is now Spencer County, Indiana, in the				Mexico, and the treaty of peace was not fully and
autumn of 1816, Abraham then being in his eighth				formally ratified till the June afterward. Much has
year. This removal was partly on account of				been said of his course in Congress in regard to
slavery, but chiefly on account of the difficulty in				this war. A careful examination of the "Journal"
land titles in Kentucky. He settled in an unbroken				and "Congressional Globe" shows that he voted
forest, and the clearing away of surplus wood				for all the supply measures that came up, and for
was the great task ahead. Abraham, though very				all the measures in any way favorable to the
young, was large of his age, and had an ax put				officers, soldiers, and their families, who conducted
into his hands at once; and from that till within his				the war through: with the exception that some of
twenty-third year he was almost constantly				these measures passed without yeas and nays,
handling that most useful instrument--less, of				leaving no record as to how particular men voted.
course, in plowing and harvesting seasons. At this				The "Journal" and "Globe" also show him voting
place Abraham took an early start as a hunter,				that the war was unnecessarily and
which was never much improved afterward. A				unconstitutionally begun by the President of the
few days before the completion of his eighth				United States. This is the language of Mr.
year, in the absence of his father, a flock of wild				Ashmun's amendment, for which Mr. Lincoln and
turkeys approached the new log cabin, and				nearly or quite all other Whigs of the House of
Abraham with a rifle-gun, standing inside, shot				Representatives voted.
through a crack and killed one of them. He has				Mr. Lincoln's reasons for the opinion expressed by
never since pulled a trigger on any larger game. In				this vote were briefly that the President had sent
the autumn of 1818 his mother died; and a year				General Taylor into an inhabited part of the
afterward his father married Mrs. Sally Johnston,				country belonging to Mexico, and not to the
at Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a widow with three				United States, and thereby had provoked the first
children of her first marriage. She proved a good				act of hostility, in fact the commencement of the
and kind mother to Abraham, and is still living in				war; that the place, being the country bordering
Coles County, Illinois. There were no children of				on the east bank of the Rio Grande, was
this second marriage. His father's residence				inhabited by native Mexicans, born there under
continued at the same place in Indiana till 1830.				the Mexican government, and had never
While here Abraham went to A B C schools by				submitted to, nor been conquered by, Texas or
littles, kept successively by Andrew				the United States, nor transferred to either by
Crawford,--Sweeney, and Azel W. Dorsey. He				treaty; that although Texas claimed the Rio
does not remember any other. The family of Mr.				Grande as her boundary, Mexico had never
Dorsey now resides in Schuyler County, Illinois.				recognized it, and neither Texas nor the United
Abraham now thinks that the aggregate of all his				States had ever enforced it; that there was a
schooling did not amount to one year. He was				broad desert between that and the country over
never in a college or academy as a student, and				which Texas had actual control; that the country
never inside of a college or academy building till				where hostilities commenced, having once
since he had a law license. What he has in the				belonged to Mexico, must remain so until it was
way of education he has picked up. After he was				somehow legally transferred, which had never
twenty-three and had separated from his father,				been done.
he studied English grammar--imperfectly, of				Mr. Lincoln thought the act of sending an armed
course, but so as to speak and write as well as				force among the Mexicans was unnecessary,
he now does. He studied and nearly mastered the				inasmuch as Mexico was in no way molesting or
six books of Euclid since he was a member of				menacing the United States or the people thereof;
Congress. He regrets his want of education, and				and that it was unconstitutional, because the
does what he can to supply the want. In his tenth				power of levying war is vested in Congress, and
year he was kicked by a horse, and apparently				not in the President. He thought the principal
killed for a time. When he was nineteen, still				motive for the act was to divert public attention
residing in Indiana, he made his first trip upon a				from the surrender of "Fifty-four, forty, or fight"
flatboat to New Orleans. He was a hired hand				to Great Britain, on the Oregon boundary
merely, and he and a son of the owner, without				question.
other assistance, made the trip. The nature of				Mr. Lincoln was not a candidate for reelection. This
part of the "cargo-load," as it was called, made it				was determined upon and declared before he
necessary for them to linger and trade along the				went to Washington, in accordance with an
sugar-coast; and one night they were attacked				understanding among Whig friends, by which
by seven negroes with intent to kill and rob them.				Colonel Hardin and Colonel Baker had each
They were hurt some in the				previously served a single term in this same
mÃƒÂªlÃƒÂ©e, but succeeded in				district.
driving the negroes from the boat, and then "cut				In 1848, during his term in Congress, he
cable," "weighed anchor," and left.				advocated General Taylor's nomination for the
March 1, 1830, Abraham having just completed his				presidency, in opposition to all others, and also
twenty-first year, his father and family, with the				took an active part for his election after his
families of the two daughters and sons-in-law of				nomination, speaking a few times in Maryland,
his stepmother, left the old homestead in Indiana				near Washington, several times in Massachusetts,
and came to Illinois. Their mode of conveyance				and canvassing quite fully his own district in Illinois,
was wagons drawn by ox-teams, and Abraham				which was followed by a majority in the district of
drove one of the teams. They reached the				over 1500 for General Taylor.
county of Macon, and stopped there some time				Upon his return from Congress he went to the
within the same month of March. His father and				practice of the law with greater earnestness than
family settled a new place on the north side of				ever before. In 1852 he was upon the Scott
the Sangamon River, at the junction of the				electoral ticket, and did something in the way of
timberland and prairie, about ten miles westerly				canvassing, but owing to the hopelessness of the
from Decatur. Here they built a log cabin, into				cause in Illinois he did less than in previous
which they removed, and made sufficient of rails				presidential canvasses.
to fence ten acres of ground, fenced and broke				In 1854 his profession had almost superseded the
the ground, and raised a crop of sown corn upon				thought of politics in his mind, when the repeal of
it the same year. These are, or are supposed to				the Missouri Compromise aroused him as he had
be, the rails about which so much is being said				never been before.
just now, though these are far from being the				In the autumn of that year he took the stump
first or only rails ever made by Abraham.				with no broader practical aim or object than to
The sons-in-law were temporarily settled in other				secure, if possible, the reelection of Hon. Richard
places in the county. In the autumn all hands were				Yates to Congress. His speeches at once
greatly afflicted with ague and fever, to which				attracted a more marked attention than they had
they had not been used, and by which they were				ever before done. As the canvass proceeded he
greatly discouraged, so much so that they				was drawn to different parts of the State outside
determined on leaving the county. They remained,				of Mr. Yates' district. He did not abandon the law,
however, through the succeeding winter, which				but gave his attention by turns to that and politics.
was the winter of the very celebrated "deep				The State agricultural fair was at Springfield that
snow" of Illinois. During that winter Abraham,				year, and Douglas was announced to speak there.
together with his stepmother's son, John D.				In the canvass of 1856 Mr. Lincoln made over
Johnston, and John Hanks, yet residing in Macon				fifty speeches, no one of which, so far as he
County, hired themselves to Denton Offutt to				remembers, was put in print. One of them was
take a flatboat from Beardstown, Illinois, to New				made at Galena, but Mr. Lincoln has no recollection
Orleans; and for that purpose were to join				of any part of it being printed; nor does he
him--Offutt--at Springfield, Illinois, so soon as the				remember whether in that speech he said
snow should go off. When it did go off, which was				anything about a Supreme Court decision. He may
about the first of March, 1831, the county was so				have spoken upon that subject, and some of the
flooded as to make traveling by land				newspapers may have reported him as saying
impracticable; to obviate which difficulty they				what it now ascribed to him, but he thinks he
purchased a large canoe, and came down the				could not have expressed himself as represented.

Nj Rcpi

Lincoln's Autobiographies