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Show FRANKED DY THE PRESIDENT. HI How Two Private Soldiers Got Their HHLl Letters Home. H When tho Fcdoral army wns cri- 'f camped In Virginia, near Washington j HH ln 18G2-'C3, President Lincoln franked a letter, "Let It Go, A. Lincoln," for a - youthful soldlor named Frank King luH of Fond (hi Lno county, Wis., and the flH envelope is still held ns a sacred trcas- flH ure by tho family of tho soldier lad, flHH who lost his llfo at Gettysburg. Capt M Thomas Jones of tho Pension Office, . H related tho story ln way: H "It wns no easy matter to get letters1 H home during tho war of the robclltohl H Pnper and envelopes wero hnrd to get, H and stamps wero almost ns scarca as Ml diamonds. Soldiers who wcro fortu- VHI nato enough to' bo near Washington H had their letters franked by senators flHHHLI you may HH Imagine thnt our lawmakers wcro kept H busy with their pens. Presldont Lin- H coin was oven known to help tho boys H out occasionally. On ono occasion JlPHLI Frank King, a private In a Wisconsin i B regiment, encamped near Arlington ( ' , H Holghts, got n packngu of envelopes?' j ' and, with n friend, llnrry Dunn, wente '' ' H to the Whlto Houso and asked Mr,. j H Lincoln to frank the envelopes. It t H waa easier to sc'o the President Hhcn )l VH than Is J 'HH When King cnlled, and tho President a ff know what wns wanted, ho asked,- .,-&' 1 "Why don't you get your congress-' " M man to frank these envelopes? I am " H very busy, boys." H "'Tho folks at homo would liko Jo H see your nnmo on tho envelopes, Mr.;" , H President,' was tho reply." ,-, M "Mr. Lincoln smiled, and taking n H pen, ho wroto on one of the onvolopca' H tho foregoing order. Ho carefully , H blotted it, and handing it to tho young) JH man, said: 'Take this with tho rest IH of tho package to your congressman, ,i H Scott Sloan, and tell him thnt I Bald to " H fix them for you. If ho refuses, nnd I' don't think ho will, bring them back H to me. I want you boys to bo bravo H soldiers,' and shaking tho hand of King H and Dunn, he bnde them good-by." H James Etter, n doorkeeper In tho H War department nt Washington, fro- H quently occupied a chulr from which ', . H ho could not bo Induced to part, bo- "- tvlVLfll causo It was once used by President nULI Lincoln, who at tho tlmo wore u watch- ,' H man's bndge pinned on tho lapel of his A H coat. Mr. Etter explained tho incident Jf H in this way: "One day I was sitting If H here, when a tall, angular gentleman W H entored tho muin door and asked If tho M .H secretary was in. I told him that it VM was too early for tho secretary to bo,- 'HI in his office. rVH " 'At what hour can I depend on ' H finding him here,' ho asked. LrilflHI "I told him, and with a pleasant jHBI 'Thank you,' he departed. H "Promptly on the hour, the tall gen- CH tlcman ascended tho steps, walked ln 'flHI the door, and I was almost knocWilff!1 , -, . 'HH spoochlc? whon " ..i.itfp'iI g-r-;a- W i 1vowdnbtfg6"inthucicfti!7ot3tSrT? jflHLl and ask him to stop out Into the hall. He! I I recovered myself and told tho' ' H strangor that I could not leavo my post of duty, and oven If I could I v did not think tho secretary would ' como out and, sco him. Tv. flU " 'Oh, yes ho will,' was the answer, flH 'and ns for leaving your post, I will bo H personally responsible tor that. I am Mr. Lincoln, and I win simply take H your badgo and keep door for you M while you deliver my message.' "Woll, I couldn't doubt him, and ho- tH stepped up to mo and unpinned myv 'H badge, stuck it on his coat, tooki my, HI chair Just like an old tlmo watchman 'H and remarked, 'Think I can fill tho H "I said I (nought ho could, and with H a 8mllo playing over his faco as I ' H walked away ho said ho'd keep things ft H straight. I delivered his raessago to ,; H tho secretary, and It was only a ,fow '; H minutes beforo ho and tho President Hl were talking together in tho corridor. fl |