The Southerner A Romance of the Real Lincoln   By: Thomas Dixon (1864-1946)

A ROMANCE OF THE REAL LINCOLN

BY

THOMAS DIXON

"Have you never realized it, my friends, that Lincoln, though grafted on the West, is essentially, in personnel and character, a Southern contribution?" WALT WHITMAN.

ILLUSTRATED BY J. N. MARCHAND

NEW YORK AND LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1913

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THOMAS DIXON

All rights reserved, including that of translation into all foreign languages, including the Scandinavian

Printed in the United States of America

DEDICATED TO

OUR FIRST SOUTHERN BORN PRESIDENT SINCE LINCOLN, MY FRIEND AND COLLEGEMATE WOODROW WILSON

THE SOUTHERNER

BOOKS BY MR. DIXON

The Southerner The Sins of the Father The Leopard's Spots The Clansman The Traitor

The One Woman Comrades The Root of Evil

The Life Worth Living

[Illustration: "From a thousand throats rose the cry: 'Lee to the rear!'"]

TO THE READER

Lest my readers should feel that certain incidents of this story are startling and improbable, I wish to say that every word in it relating to the issues of our national life has been drawn from authentic records in my possession. Nor have I at any point taken a liberty with an essential detail in historical scenes.

THOMAS DIXON.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER

I. THE MAN OF THE HOUR II. JANGLING VOICES III. IN BETTY'S GARDEN IV. A PAIR OF YOUNG EYES V. THE FIRST SHOT VI. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS VII. LOVE AND DUTY VIII. THE TRIAL BY FIRE IX. VICTORY IN DEFEAT X. THE AWAKENING XI. THE MAN ON HORSEBACK XII. LOVE AND PRIDE XIII. THE SPIRES OF RICHMOND XIV. THE RETREAT XV. TANGLED THREADS XVI. THE CHALLENGE XVII. THE DAY'S WORK XVIII. DIPLOMACY XIX. THE REBEL XX. THE INSULT XXI. THE BLOODIEST DAY XXII. BENEATH THE SKIN XXIII. THE USURPER XXIV. THE CONSPIRACY XXV. THE TUG OF WAR XXVI. THE REST HOUR XXVII. DEEPENING SHADOWS XXVIII. THE MOONLIT RIVER XXIX. THE PANIC XXX. SUNSHINE AND STORM XXXI. BETWEEN THE LINES XXXII. THE WHIRLWIND XXXIII. THE BROTHERS MEET XXXIV. LOVE'S PLEDGE XXXV. THE DARKEST HOUR XXXVI. THE ASSASSIN XXXVII. MR. DAVIS SPEAKS XXXVIII. THE STOLEN MARCH XXXIX. VICTORY XL. WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"From a thousand throats rose the cry: 'Lee to the rear!'" Frontispiece .

"'Be a man among men, for your mother's sake '"

"'Good bye Ned!' she breathed softly." "Betty glanced at the stolid, set face and firm lips."

"'You're a brave man, Ned Vaughan.'"

"Waving his plumed hat ... he put himself at the head of his troops and charged."

LEADING CHARACTERS OF THE STORY

1809 1818

Scene: A Cabin in the Woods

TOM, A Man of the Forest and Stream. NANCY, The Woman Who Saw a Vision. THE BOY, Her Son. DENNIS, His Cousin. BONEY, A Fighting Coon Dog.

1861 1865

Scene: The White House

SENATOR GILBERT WINTER, The Radical Leader. BETTY, His Daughter. JOHN VAUGHAN, A Union Soldier. NED VAUGHAN, His Brother, a Rebel. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, The President. MRS. LINCOLN, His Wife. PHOEBE, Her Maid. JULIUS CÆSAR THORNTON, Who Was Volunteered. COLONEL NICOLAY, The President's Secretary. MAJOR JOHN HAY, Assistant Secretary. WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN, Who Stole a March. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, The Man on Horseback. ROBERT E. LEE, The Southern Commander.

THE SOUTHERNER

PROLOGUE

I

Tom seated himself at the table and looked into his wife's face with a smile:

"Nancy, it's a meal fit for a king!"