recital by Mrs. Lincoln.—Abe's memory.—Mimicks the preachers.—Makes
"stump-speeches" in the field.—Cruelly maltreated by his father.—Works
out cheerfully.—Universal favorite.—The kind of people he lived
amongst.—Mrs. Crawford's reminiscences.—Society about Gentryville.
—His step-mother.—His sister.—The Johnstons and Hankses.—Abe a
ferryman and farm-servant.—His work and habits.—Works for Josiah
Crawford.—Mrs. Crawford's account of him.—Crawford's books.—Becomes
a wit and a poet.—Abe the tallest and strongest man in the
settlement.—Hunting in the Pigeon Creek region.—His activity.—Love of
talking and reading.—Fond of rustic sports.—Furnishes the
literature.—Would not be slighted.—His satires.—Songs and
chronicles.—Gentryville as "a centre of business."—Abe and other
boys loiter about the village.—Very temperate.—"Clerks" for Col.
Jones.—Abe saves a drunken man's life.—Fond of music.—Marriage of his
sister Nancy.—Extracts from his copy-book.—His Chronicles.—Fight with
the Grigs-bys.—Abe "the big buck of the lick."—"Speaking meetings"
at Gentryville.—Dennis Hanks's account of the way he and Abe became so
learned.—Abe attends a court.—Abe expects to be President.—Going
to mill.—Kicked in the head by a horse.—Mr. Wood.—Piece on
temperance.—On national politics.—Abe tired of home.—Works for
Mr. Gentry.—Knowledge of astronomy and geography.—Goes to New
Orleans.—Counterfeit money.—Fight with negroes.—Scar on his face.
—An apocryphal story...........19

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
Abe's return from New Orleans.—Sawing planks for a new house.—The
milk-sickness.—Removal to Illinois.—Settles near Decatur.—Abe leaves
home.—Subsequent removals and death of Thomas Lincoln.—Abe's relations
to the family.—Works with John Hanks after leaving home.—Splitting
rails.—Makes a speech on the improvement of the Sangamon River.—Second
voyage to New Orleans.—Loading and departure of the boat.—"Sticks" on
New Salem dam.—Abe's contrivance to get her off.—Model in the Patent
Office.—Arrival at New Orleans.—Negroes chained.—Abe touched by the
sight.—Returns on a steamboat.—Wrestles with Daniel Needham.........73

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER IV.
The site of New Salem.—The village as it existed.—The
first store.—Number of inhabitants.—Their
houses.—Springfield.—Petersburg.—Mr. Lincoln appears a second time
at New Salem.—Clerks at an election.—Pilots a boat to
Beardstown.—Country store.—Abe as "first clerk."—"Clary's Grove
Boys."—Character of Jack Armstrong.—He and Abe become intimate
friends.—Abe's popularity.—Love of peace.—Habits of study.—Waylaying
strangers for information.—Pilots the steamer "Talisman" up and down
the Sangamon.......85

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
Offutt's business gone to ruin.—The Black Hawk War.—Black Hawk crosses
the Mississippi.—Deceived by his allies.—The governor's call for
troops.—Abe enlists—Elected captain.—A speech.—Organization of the
army.—Captain Lincoln under arrest.—The march.—Captain Lincoln's
company declines to form.—Lincoln under arrest.—Stillman's
defeat.—Wasting rations.—Hunger.—Mutiny.—March to Dixon.—Attempt
to capture Black Hawk's pirogues.—Lincoln saves the life of
an Indian.—Mutiny.—Lincoln's novel method of quelling
it.—Wrestling.—His magnanimity.—Care of his men.—Dispute with a
regular officer.—Reach Dixon.—Move to Fox River.—A stampede.—Captain
Lincoln's efficiency as an officer.—Amusements of the camp.—Captain
Lincoln re-enlists as a private.—Independent spy company.—Progress of
the war.—Capture of Black Hawk.—Release.—Death.—Grave.—George
W. Harrison's recollections.—Duties of the spy company.—Company
disbanded.—Lincoln's horse stolen.—They start home on foot.—Buy
a canoe.—Feast on a raft.—Sell the boat.—Walk again.—Arrive at
Petersburg.—A sham battle........98

CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI.
The volunteers from Sangamon return shortly before the State
election.—Abe a candidate for the Legislature.—Mode of bringing
forward candidates.—Parties and party names.—State and national
politics.—Mr. Lincoln's position.—Old way of conducting
elections.—Mr. Lincoln's first stump-speech.—"A general fight."—Mr.
Lincoln's part in it.—His dress and appearance.—Speech at Island
Grove.—His stories.—A third speech.—Agrees with the Whigs in the
policy of internal improvements.—His own hobby.—Prepares an address to
the people.—Mr. Lincoln defeated.—Received every vote but three cast
in his own precinct....121

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
Results of the canvass.—An opening in business.—The firm of Lincoln
& Berry.—How they sold liquor.—What Mr. Douglas said.—The store a
failure.—Berry's bad habits.—The credit system.—Lincoln's debts.—He
goes to board at the tavern.—Studies law.—Walks to Springfield for
books.—Progress in the law.—Does business for his neighbors.—Other
studies.—Reminiscences of J. Y. Ellis.—Shy of ladies.—His
apparel.—Fishing, and spouting Shakspeare and Burns.—Mr. Lincoln
annoyed by company.—Retires to the country.—Bowlin Greene.—Mr.
Lincoln's attempt to speak a funeral discourse.—John Calhoun.—Lincoln
studies surveying.—Gets employment.—Lincoln appointed postmaster.—How
he performed the duties.—Sale of Mr. Lincoln's personal property under
execution.—Bought by James Short.—Lincoln's visits.—Old Hannah.—Ah.
Trent.—Mr. Lincoln as a peacemaker.—His great strength.—The
judicial quality.—Acting second in fights.—A candidate for the
Legislature.—Elected.—Borrows two hundred dollars from Coleman
Smoot.—How they got acquainted.—Mr. Lincoln writes a little book on
infidelity.—It is burnt by Samuel Hill........135

CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
James Rutledge.—His family.—Ann Rutledge.—John McNeil.—Is engaged
to Ann.—His strange story.—The loveliness of Ann's person
and character.—Mr. Lincoln courts her.—They are engaged to be
married.—Await the return of McNeil.—Ann dies of a broken
heart.—Mr. Lincoln goes crazy.—Cared for by Bowlin Greene.—The poem
"Immortality."—Mr. Lincoln's melancholy broodings.—Interviews with
Isaac Cogdale after his election to the Presidency.—Mr. Herndon's
interview with McNamar.—Ann's grave.—The Concord cemetery...159

public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@40977@[email protected]#link2HCH0009" class="pginternal"