He told his lizard story that day, about how an old line Baptist preacher in the Indiana backwoods, delivering a sermon, had the misfortune to have a little blue lizard run up inside his pantaloons, with results that caused some distress among the faithful. In the course of a leisurely afternoon, as citizens came into the voting place, the election judge calling out their votes and the clerk writing them down, townsmen became familiar with another Lincoln ability-as a spell-binding storyteller.
Local civic leaders, discovering that Lincoln could write-a prized ability in those parts-put him to work as a recording clerk registering ballots. Some days after Lincoln floated into town, New Salem was holding elections. It was the most civilized and populous place Lincoln had ever lived. He described himself as “a strange, friendless, uneducated, penniless boy, working on a flat boat-at ten dollars per month.” New Salem had existed for barely three years and had a population of about 100, a handful of whom had attended college.
The 22-year-old Lincoln had arrived, as he would often say, like “a piece of floating driftwood” in the village of New Salem, in Sangamon County, in the summer of 1831. Looking back in his sketch across the whole span of his adult life, he fondly recalled “a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since.” He was thinking of his election at the age of 23 in the spring of 1832 as “a Captain of Volunteers” from Sangamon County, Illinois, in the Black Hawk war. “There is not much of it,” said Lincoln about his autobiographical sketch, “for the reason, I suppose, that there is not much of me.” In the race of ambition, he regarded himself as largely a failure, especially compared with his famous rival, Stephen Douglas. The Republican national convention would be held in Chicago in a few months, and Lincoln was being mentioned by some newspapers as a possible vice presidential or presidential candidate. Accessed July 25, 2022.In December 1859, Abraham Lincoln wrote a “little sketch” of his life for use by Republican friends who sought to make him better known outside his home state of Illinois. This item may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution. My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will:īut the ship, the ship is anchor'd safe, its voyage closed and done įrom fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won: My captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the bugle trills įor you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths-for you the shores a-crowding įor you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning O captain! my captain! rise up and hear the bells While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: The port is near, the bells I hear, the people are exulting, The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won
O CAPTAIN! my captain! our fearful trip is done The noted poet Walt Whitman composed this poem in memory of Lincoln shortly after his assassination.
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