By Mary Pope Osborne
November 2, 1864 a little girl about 10 years old was living with her pa her brother Jed and his wife Jane Ellen was going to have a baby in April.
They moved to Washington City looking for new jobs. The girl heard her family talking about the president Lincoln they hoped he will be reelected next week and they said the president Lincoln is only man in the world who can put an end to slavery forever.
Their house in Washington City was so small they got their water out side. The girl slept on sofa in the parlor shivering with cold. Jed and pa were going every day looking for job
Jed wanted to be a reporter in news paper pa hoped he could play his violin at one of Washington City’s theaters a cold rain always falls out side while the two men was going to look for job. African Americans people had come to Washington in search of freedom from slavery. Confederate deserters and bandaged Union soldiers also straggled by they fought for different armies, but they all looked much the same-sad and weary. Both sides
Were desperate for the war’s end. Jane Ellen helped the girl with her lesson until she could afford a real school. Also she was worried a bout Jane sickness because she remembered her mother died when she born.
President Lincoln had been reelected for that they were all so happy the cheering crowd marched through the streets of Mr. Lincoln’s Washington. They sang’ the battle cry of freedom.’ In November 23, 1864 the president had declared the last Thursday of every November as a national day of thanksgiving. Pa tried to work as a woodcutter but he wasn’t strong enough so he hurt his back chopping wood. Jed had to help him home and put him in bed Jane was too sick, the girl thought to work to save her family, looking in newspaper she found a job in a beautiful house with stone steps A Widow named Mrs. Porter gave her fifty cents a day to do light house keeping, day by day her job got better Mrs. Porter liked her to read from the Bible or Shakespeare or Walter scot.
Mrs. Porter’s grandchildren were coming to visit from New York City for Christmas holiday. The girl dreamed that the children would tell her stories about their life and she would tell them about the Battle of Getty burg also she thought maybe they invite her to see New York City, but when they arrived they didn’t seem to take notice they ignored her she felt like a girl made of air, she said with her self ‘this how all servants feel why? What if the porter children ‘owned me? They might even beat me, if I didn’t do what they wanted! She felt sad not talking with her family she mostly ate beans she liked ice cream and sugar cookies she sighed and said ‘she wish going to see a play at fords new theatre some day but it cost too much she heard the children talked about Tad Lincoln as if he were their friend. Tad was only ten years old goes every where with his father president Lincoln. The president was pushing for a change to the constitution to end the slavery once and for all. After in January 31, 1865 Congress had voted to pass the thirteen Amendments to abolish slavery that was great news also Jed had had a better job at news paper Pa could get his chance to be a violin player in professor Withers’ orchestra!
Pa wanted the girl to stop working and going to school.
Every day more and more Rebs desert the confederate army they were all streaming into Washington the south had no more men to fight for it, the capital of the confederacy in ruins Union troops had taken over the city. President Lincoln and his son Tad had gone to Richmond many African American knelt before the president to thank him for freeing them from slavery but the president told them not to kneel before him ‘you must kneel to God only thank him for your freedom’ he said. Flags waved in the rain all up and down the street president Lincoln appeared, bright and happy he told the band to play ‘Dixie’ He said that (Dixie) belongs to all of us again and not just to the south.
After that, bad news happened quickly president Lincoln was shot the man who shot him leaped from the president’s box onto the stage. He jumped on an hours in the alleyway and dashed a way in the dark. The president had been shot in the head. The night was so dark, it felt like every candle on earth had gone every one couldn’t sleep. The president was shot by an actor named John Wilkes Booth. The assassin had not caught yet. They all wept and prayed together. President Lincoln was dead. A cold rain was falling, the sky wept rain as it did the morning after the Battle of Gettysburg. That was terrible dream.
The minister, Reverend Crane, said that the president died for our country just as Christ died for the world. The assassin couldn’t escape there was 100/000 reward for the capture of John Booth. Many southerners think the president was their friend too; at the war end he chose the path of forgiveness instead of revenge.
Day after Jane Ellen had strong pain caring to the hospital she got a baby they named him Abraham Lincoln Dickens. Jed came home he said John Booth in a barn he was shot in the head and died. Other conspirators were being sought.
In may4, 1865 the president was buried in Springfield, Illinois. We felt great sorrow for our whole nation also the little girl felt sorrow for Tad Lincoln, just few month ago she thought he was the luckiest boy in the world, but then she said she felt sorrow for Tad for loosing great father and great leader.
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