her ancestors, saw Mr. Lincoln in the parlor of Willard's Hotel before his inauguration.

"Is that Abe Lincoln?" she asked, greatly astonished to see he was a courteous gentleman.

"That is Mr. Lincoln, and I will introduce you to him," said Mr. Seward. "Shall I have the pleasure of introducing Mrs. Howard ?"

Very stately the bowing of the lady. "I am from South Carolina," she said.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Howard."

No gentleman in Charleston could have been more courteous. She

looked into his face and beheld nothing but kindness. She listened in amazement to his conversation.

"Why, Mr. Lincoln, you look, act, and speak like a kind, goodhearted, generous man!" she exclaims.

"Did you expect to meet a savage?"

"Certainly I did, or something worse. But I am glad that I have met you. The best way to procure peace is for you to go to Charleston and show the people what you are, and tell them you have no intention of injuring them."

She left the parlor and met her friends.

"I have seen him."

"Who?"

"That terrible monster, Lincoln; and instead of being a monster he is a gentleman, and I mean to attend his first reception." (")

While Mr. Lincoln was taking his oath to support the Constitution, Mr. Holt, Buchanan's Secretary of War, was reading a letter received from Major Anderson, commanding Fort Sumter, informing him that the bread he had on hand would be gone in twenty-eight days. His pork would last a little longer, but in forty days the last particle of food would be consumed. He could not buy anything in the Charleston markets. Slaves were building batteries on Morris Island and mounting cannon. A floating battery protected by railroad-iron would soon be completed.

Several days passed before all the members of the new Cabinet arrived in Washington. They listened in amazement to the communication from Major Anderson. General Scott had informed President Lincoln that it would require 20,000 men to force their way into Sumter. No such number could be had. Captain Gustavus V. Fox believed that vessels of light draft could cross Charleston bar in the night and supply the fort with provisions. Each member of the Cabinet was asked to give his opinion as to what should be done. Nearly all said it would not be wise to attempt to relieve the garrison.

Three gentlemen, sent by Jefferson Davis, arrived in Washington: Martin J. Crawford, John Forsyth, and A. S. Romans. They requested President Lincoln to give up Sumter, and also Fort Pickens, at Pensacola. They held consultations with Mason and Hunter, of Virginia, and Breckinridge, of Kentucky. They found J. A. Campbell, one of the judges of the Supreme Court, an able ally. He was from Alabama, but professed loyalty to the Union. He had the confidence of Mr. Seward, who did not mistrust that Campbell was in constant communi

cation with Jefferson Davis's commissioners. Mr. Seward was pleased to see the gentlemen, but could not hold any official relations with them. He thought there would not be war. Fort Sumter probably would be evacuated. Nothing would be done without notice, he thought. Mr. Seward gave Judge Campbell no assurance as an officer of the Cabinet, but only as a private citizen. He had no authority to speak officially. I was in Washington during those March days. The hotels and

boarding-houses were filled with men from nearly every Northern State, and many from Maryland and Virginia, seeking office. They swarmed. into the White House, filled the corridors and stairways leading to the executive chamber, waiting for the moment when they could see the President. Each had letters of recommendation for some office-consul, marshal, or postmaster. Senators and members of the Cabinet, entitled to precedence, who made their way through the crowd, were looked upon as intruders. Some of the most importunate office-seekers were from Virginia. They had not voted for Mr. Lincoln, did not belong to the Republican Party; they were Whigs, and had voted for Mr. Bell, of Tennessee. As there were no Republicans in Virginia, they would stand some chance of obtaining an office. Many of the loud-talking men from the seceded States were loath to give up the salaries they were receiving from the Government. They were predicting war. They said the Northern men were craven creatures, who never would fight the gentlemen of the South. They did not regard Northern men as gentlemen. It was the expression of a sentiment engendered by slavery. Men who worked for a livelihood, who did not have bond-servants to do their bidding, could not be "gentlemen."

Mr. Seward publicly expressed his opinion that all trouble between the North and South would be speedily settled. Not so promising was the outlook to me. On a calm evening, soon after the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, I visited the White House in company with Senator Wilson. (*) The President was engaged and we did not tarry. We walked towards Mr. Wilson's apartments in the direction of the Capitol. The moon was full, revealing the beautiful proportions of the uncompleted edifice.

"What is that unfinished Capitol so beautiful in design worth?” I asked.

"Nothing. We are going to have civil war, and God only knows what the end will be," the reply.

Others saw the coming storm. A gentleman who had applied for the consulate at Callao, South America, withdrew his application. He said: "We are going to have one of the greatest struggles the world has ever seen. These fellows are determined to fight. I am going home to get ready to meet them." (")

From the hour of his inauguration President Lincoln was badgered and hounded by office-seekers. We little know the severity of the mental strain during those days to him. Seven States had left the Union. Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee were getting ready to

go. Forts and arsenals had been seized, Major Anderson was cooped up in Sumter. Batteries were being erected on Morris Island. The vessels of the navy were on distant seas, the soldiers of the army thousands of miles away among the Indians of the West. Traitors were in the departments. The members of the Cabinet were strangers to each other. Affairs at home and abroad were drifting to chaos. Civil war was imminent. The credit of the Government was gone. Many people in the Northern States were doubtful if an uneducated man, without experience in affairs of State, would be able to administer the Government at such a critical period. Alone at night in his chamber Mr. Lincoln bore the nation on his heart.

A train going south from Washington carried two passengers, Mr. S. A. Hurlburt and Mr. Lamon. The first was born in Charleston, and

March 22,

1861.

HENRY WILSON.

had a sister residing there. He had studied law with James L. Petigru, who was loyal to the Union. Mr. Lamon, whom we have seen travelling from Springfield to Washington with President Lincoln, was agent of the Post-office Department. He was allowed by Governor Pickens to visit Fort Sumter. Mr. Hurlburt, in the home of Mr. Petigru, learned much about public sentiment in South Carolina. The merchants believed the world could not get along without cotton. Charleston was to become a great commercial emporium. They hated the Union, and spat on the Stars and Stripes. The two gentlemen returned to Washington, and informed Mr. Lincoln of the determination of the seceded States to establish a separate nationality.

During the last week in March the President invited the members of the Cabinet to his first State dinner. When the repast was over they assembled in the executive chamber to listen to a letter written by General Scott, who advised the giving up of forts Sumter and Pickens. He thought such a course would keep the other Slave States in the Union. The members of the Cabinet were astonished. Something must be done at once. Provisions must be sent to Sumter, or the fort given up. Which?

Through the night the President walked the floor of his chamber.