or quite all of the
stories he told during his Presidential term, and there were very few of
them which might not have been repeated in a parlor and none descended
to obscene, vulgar or profane expressions. I have never known a man of
purer instincts than Abraham Lincoln, and his appreciation of all that
was beautiful and good was of the highest order.

It was fortunate for Mr. Lincoln that he frequently sought relief from
the fearfully oppressive duties which bore so heavily upon him. He had
immediately about him a circle of men with whom he could be "at home" in
the White House any evening as he was with his old time friends on the
Illinois circuit.

David Davis was one upon whom he most relied as an adviser, and Leonard
Swett was probably one of his closest friends, while Ward Lamon, whom
he made Marshal of the District of Columbia to have him by his side,
was one with whom he felt entirely "at home." Davis was of a more
sober order but loved Lincoln's humor, although utterly incapable of a
humorous expression himself. Swett was ready with Lincoln to give and
take in storyland, as was Lamon, and either of them, and sometimes all
of them, often dropped in upon Lincoln and gave him an hour's diversion
from his exacting cares. They knew that he needed it and they sought him
for the purpose of diverting him from what they feared was an excessive
strain.

His devotion to Lamon was beautiful. I well remember at Harrisburg
on the night of February 22, 1861, when at a dinner given by Governor
Curtin to Mr. Lincoln, then on his way to Washington, we decided,
against the protest of Lincoln, that he must change his route to
Washington and make the memorable midnight journey to the capital. It
was thought to be best that but one man should accompany him, and he
was asked to choose. There were present of his suite Colonel Sumner,
afterwards one of the heroic generals of the war, Norman B. Judd, who
was chairman of the Republican State Committee of Illinois, Colonel
Lamon and others, and he promptly chose Colonel Lamon, who alone
accompanied him on his journey from Harrisburg to Philadelphia and
thence to Washington.

Before leaving the room Governor Curtin asked Colonel Lamon whether he
was armed, and he answered by exhibiting a brace of fine pistols, a
huge bowie knife, a black jack, and a pair of brass knuckles. Curtin
answered: "You'll do," and they were started on their journey after all
the telegraph wires had been cut