973.7L63 
 0Q23a 
 
 M280k 
 
 Quaintance, Charles L # 
 
 Abraham Lincoln in Illinois , An Address 
 Delivered to the Pupils of the Palmer 
 School, February 12 f 1925 
 
INCOLN ROOM 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY 
 
 MEMORIAL 
 
 the Class of 1901 
 
 founded by 
 
 HARLAN HOYT HORNER 
 
 and 
 
 HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER 
 
^A^»y.yv^aA>u 
 
 A/**^^ / JL 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 
 
 IN 
 
 ILLINOIS 
 
 An address 
 delivered to the pupils 
 
 of the 
 
 PALMER SCHOOL 
 
 February 12, 1925 
 
 by 
 
 CHARLES L. QUAINT ANCE 
 
 Public Relations Department 
 
 Central Illinois 
 Public Service Company 
 
. PREFACE 
 
 Mr. Charles L. Quaintance was bom at Peters- 
 burg, Illinois. His boyhood days were filled 
 with pastimes spent in close association with the 
 scenes of New Salem and the Sangamon River 
 now considered historic from Abraham Lincoln's 
 residence there. 
 
 Mr. Quaintance fished off the dam at the old 
 mill site and enjoys the priceless heritage of boy- 
 hood association with older residents of that 
 community who personally knew and told so 
 much about Lincoln's determined struggle for 
 advancement. 
 
 Later as an employee of the Culver Construc- 
 tion Company engaged in rebuilding the Lincoln 
 Monument during the years of 1898 to 1903 
 additional episodes connected with Lincoln's life 
 and memory were available. 
 
 This environment coupled with a study of 
 Lincoln's life and history makes this address 
 particularly worthy of printing and distribution. 
 
,"73. 7 L US £oow\~ 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 
 IN ILLINOIS 
 
 By Charles L. Quaintance 
 
 The history of Mr. Lincoln, whose birth we honor 
 today, and Springfield, Illinois, are so closely woven 
 together that the one is not complete without the 
 other, and we who live here amid these historical sur- 
 roundings are no doubt remiss a great many times in 
 our thoughts of and about them. So today let us go 
 down the aisles of the past, refreshing our memories 
 of some incidents in the great man's life. 
 
 Abraham Lincoln's early life was spent in the 
 poorest of surroundings — born in a log cabin in the 
 hills of Kentucky, February 12, 1809. His father 
 could neither read or write. His mother who was a 
 little better educated than the pioneer women of that 
 time, started young Abe to school when seven years 
 old with the only book they had, an old Dillsworth 
 Spelling Book. 
 
 Shortly after starting to school the family moved to 
 Indiana and in 1816 when the boy was 8 years old 
 his mother died. 
 
 In the latter part of 1819 young Abe's father took 
 his second wife, a Mrs. Johnson. She was a kind step- 
 mother and encouraged the boy to get an education. 
 
 It was while living in Indiana that he became inter- 
 ested in law. A friend loaned him the Revised Statutes 
 of Indiana which was the first law book Lincoln ever 
 read and it is said the reading of this book inspired 
 him to become a lawyer. 
 
 In 1830 the Lincoln family moved to Illinois, 
 settling in Macon County on the North side of the 
 Sangamon River, about 10 miles West of Decatur. 
 
 Abe being of age commenced to shift for himself 
 and in performing some of the odd jobs he was hired 
 to do, it became necessary for him to go to New 
 Salem, a small village or settlement on a bluff on the 
 Sangamon River, about two miles South of what is 
 now Petersburg, Illinois. Here he became a clerk in a 
 grocery store. 
 
Abraham Lincoln 
 
 Later Lincoln and a dissolute fellow by the name of 
 Berry formed a partnership and went into the grocery 
 business, but they were not successful. They both 
 lived on the stock of merchandise, Berry drinking and 
 Lincoln eating it up. Lincoln during this time was 
 reading every book he could get his hands on. 
 
 Then came the Black Hawk War and Lincoln be- 
 came a Captain of a volunteer company which did a 
 lot of drilling but no fighting. It was during this 
 time that he became acquainted with Major John T. 
 Stewart, a lawyer of Springfield, Illinois, who was an 
 officer in this war. At the conclusion of the Black 
 Hawk War Lincoln became an assistant to John Cal- 
 houn, County Surveyor of Sangamon County and he 
 became very proficient in this line. In 1834 he was 
 first elected to the Legislature and again renewed his 
 acquaintance with John T. Stewart, also a member of 
 that body. Mr. Lincoln and Stewart roomed together 
 at Vandalia, the then capitol of the State. 
 
 Lincoln counseled with Stewart regarding his study- 
 ing law and he was advised to start at once. He was 
 then living at New Salem and did his studying in an 
 old house used as a cooper shop where they made 
 barrels, using the shavings from the staves in an open 
 fire place for light to read by, and walking into Spring- 
 field, about 20 miles, to borrow law books from Mr. 
 Stewart. 
 
 In 1836 Mr. Lincoln was admitted to the bar in 
 Springfield and about the same time he was again 
 elected to the Legislature. It was at this session that 
 the capitol of the State was moved to Springfield. 
 At the close of this session he became a partner with 
 his friend Stewart in the practice of law, and on April 
 27th the firm of Stewart and Lincoln hung out their 
 shingle. 
 
 Springfield was then a mere village, a veritable mud 
 hole. The houses were scattered and poorly construc- 
 ted. The State House had not been built and the 
 business then centered around a vacant plot of ground 
 where the Court House now stands. The County 
 Court House was a two-story low-ceiling building, the 
 lower floor used for a court room and the Stewart & 
 Lincoln Law Office was on the second floor. This 
 building was located at 109 North Fifth Street. Here 
 Stewart and Lincoln started the practice of law in an 
 
In Illinois 
 
 office meagerly furnished — a rough made table, a few 
 chairs, a lounge, a bench and a wood stove to heat the 
 room. 
 
 There were no stenographers, typewriters, or dupli- 
 cating machines, and all legal papers had to be written 
 in long hand — Lincoln doing all the clerical work, 
 sometimes working well into the night and often sleep- 
 ing on the old rickety lounge, covering himself with a 
 buffalo robe. 
 
 The prominence of Mr. Stewart and the efficient aid 
 given the people in securing the Capitol for Springfield, 
 caused the firm's business to grow, but while their 
 cases were numerous, they did not bring in much 
 money, sometimes having to take their fees out in 
 trade. 
 
 Here in his plainly furnished office were spent the 
 formative years of Lincoln's legal life. Here he de- 
 veloped that legal logical reasoning of his and power 
 of simple expression which made him an opponent to 
 be feared in Court and a debator of exquisite skill. 
 
 The old Wabash Station, now the freight depot, is 
 perhaps surpassed only by Lincoln's Home and Monu- 
 ment in the appeal to those who know the history of 
 Lincoln. Here, on February 11, 1861, Lincoln started 
 on his journey which was destined to be so vital to 
 his country and so filled with tragedy for him. 
 
 Lincoln had been a resident of Springfield 24 years, 
 during which time he had risen from the most humble 
 place as a lawyer to the greatest public office in the 
 world. He had endeared himself to hundreds of 
 friends here and on the day of his farewell he sus- 
 pected and had reason to suspect he would never return. 
 
 The Southern States, led on by South Carolina, 
 which formally severed its connection with the Union 
 November 17, 1860, were preparing to dissolve their 
 alliance with the Free States. 
 
 Southerners in the Cabinet and Congress conspired 
 to deplete the resources of the Government. The 
 Treasury was deliberately bankrupted. The forts and 
 armaments on the Southern Coast were delivered into 
 the hands of the enemy, with the exception of Fort 
 Sumpter, which was gallantly held by Major Robert 
 Anderson. While this system of bold and unscrup- 
 ulous treachery was carried on by men in high places 
 
Abraham Lincoln 
 
 of trust, the chief executive of the Nation remained 
 a passive spectator. 
 
 Amidst these potent scenes Lincoln, watching them 
 from Springfield, maintained his calm and vigilant 
 attitude. No one knew better than he the significance 
 of these ominous events that were taking place at the 
 Nation's Capitol. He realized that the time was fast 
 approaching when he would have to take command 
 of the Ship of State, drifting so rapidly into troubled 
 waters. 
 
 Upon this mighty task were concentrated all the 
 powers of his mighty intellect and will and through 
 all the desperate voyage that followed he never waiv- 
 ered or faltered in his course to the hour when "From 
 fearful trip the victor ship came in with object won," 
 but with her more than heroic but now victorious 
 captain "fallen cold and dead," upon her deck. 
 
 On the morning of February 11, 1861, Lincoln left 
 his home in Springfield for the scene where he was to 
 spend the most anxious, toilsome and painful years of 
 his life. He was accompanied at his departure by his 
 wife, three sons and a party of friends. 
 
 "It was a gloomy day; heavy clouds floated over- 
 head, and a cold rain was falling. Long before eight 
 o'clock a great mass of people had collected at the 
 railway station. At precisely five minutes before 
 eight, Mr. Lincoln, preceded by Mr. Wood, emerged 
 from a private room in the depot building, and passed 
 slowly to the car, the people falling back respectfully 
 on either side, and as many as possible shaking his 
 hands. Having reached the train, he ascended the rear 
 platform, and, facing about to the throng which had 
 closed around him, drew himself up to his full height, 
 removed his hat and stood for several seconds in pro- 
 found silence. His eye roved sadly over that sea of 
 upturned faces, as if asking to read in them the sym- 
 pathy and friendship which he never needed more than 
 then. There was an unusual quiver in his lip, and a 
 still more unusual tear on his shriveled cheek. His 
 solemn manner, his long silence, were as full of melan- 
 choly eloquence as any words he could have uttered. 
 What did he think of? Of the mighty changes which 
 had lifted him from the lowest to the highest estate 
 on earth? Of the weary road which had brought him 
 to this lofty summit? Of his poor mother lying 
 
In Illinois 
 
 beneath the tangled underbrush in a distant forest? 
 Of that other grave in the quiet Concord Cemetery? 
 Whatever the character of his thoughts it is evident 
 that they were retrospective and sad. To those who 
 were anxiously waiting to catch his words it seemed 
 long until he had mastered his feelings sufficiently to 
 speak. At length he began, in a husky voice, and 
 slowly and impressively delivered his farewell to his 
 neighbors. Imitating his example many in the crowd 
 stood with heads uncovered in the fast falling rain. 
 Abraham Lincoln spoke none but true and sincere 
 words, and none more true and heartfelt ever fell from 
 his lips than these, so laden with pathos, with humil- 
 ity, with a craving for the sympathy of his friends and 
 the people, and for help above and beyond all earthly 
 power and love. 
 
 'My friends: — No one not in my position can re- 
 alize the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people 
 I owe all that I am. Here I have lived more than a 
 quarter of a century — here my children were born and 
 here one of them lies buried. 
 
 I know not how soon I shall see you again. I go 
 to assume a task more difficult than that which has 
 devolved upon any other man since the days of Wash- 
 ington. He never would have succeeded except for the 
 aid of Divine Providence, upon which he at all times 
 relied. 
 
 I feel that I cannot succeed without the same Divine 
 blessing which sustained him, and on the same Al- 
 mighty Being I place my reliance for support and I 
 hope you, my friends, will all pray that I may receive 
 that Divine assistance, without which I cannot suc- 
 ceed, but with which success is certain. Again I bid 
 you an affectionate farewell.' " 
 
 After Mr. Lincoln's death he was brought back to 
 his old home here at Springfield and placed in a tem- 
 porary vault in Oak Ridge Cemetery. After the 
 Monument was built the body was placed in a sarco- 
 phagus in the vault on the North side of the Monu- 
 ment, where it rested for a number of years. 
 
 Some little time after the death of Mrs. Lincoln, 
 an opening was made in the floor of the vault large 
 enough for the two caskets to rest side by side. This 
 opening was about six feet deep. After the caskets 
 
Abraham Lincoln 
 
 were lowered into place, the space above them was 
 filled in with concrete. 
 
 In 1898 it was found that a part of the foundation 
 of the Monument was giving way. It was decided 
 to rebuild and add 18 feet to its height. A new 
 foundation had to be put in. 
 
 The caskets of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were dug out 
 of the concrete and placed in a temporary vault. When 
 the work of the Monument was completed and they 
 were ready to return them to their final resting place, 
 the change was made late in the night. A number of 
 high ranking men in the State Government were there. 
 The question arose as to whether Mr. Lincoln's body 
 was in the casket. In order to make sure the casket 
 was opened and I have what followed from a man 
 who was one of the party that looked into the face 
 of the martyred President. Death and time had 
 changed the features but little, only a bit of mold on 
 the black tie and lapel of the coat showed the ravages 
 of the grave. 
 
 The casket was closed and placed beside his wife in 
 the opening prepared for them. This opening was 
 filled in with solid concrete and is located directly 
 under the sarcophagus that you see as you look through 
 the iron gate that leads into the North Room of the 
 Monument. 
 
 And here we must leave the body of this great man 
 but his soul lives on in the hearts of the American 
 people and will live to the last syllable of recorded 
 time, and the great life and love he gave to the world 
 will be an inspiration and his memory a benediction. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 973.7L63GQ23A C001 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS ILLINOIS? 
 
 3 0112 031821983