FACSIMILE OF A MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN DECEMBER, 1859, GIVING A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF HIS EARLY LIFE. This document was written at the request of the late Mr. Jesse W. Fell, with a view to its incorporation in a memoir to be used in the political campaign of 1860. COPYRIGHT, 1872, BY JESSE W. FELL. I was boon Feb. 12. 1809. My parents мно were both boow in Virgence of undistiv. Decor a femiling, ponhaps I shove a day quishen families in my mother, who drew in my south year, was of a of a family of th name of tanks, Adams, and other some of whom now renow in Macon Counties, Illinois My potemal granov: father, Abraham Lincolo, emigration from Rockinglane County, Virginia, to Kentucky, about 17810 2, when, year or two later, he was batth, but by stealth, when ho on the forest a indians, not fu was laboring to oper His anceston, who wew a fam Killen by of the same namo quakers, event to Virgine from Berks County, Pennsylvania_ Am effort to istentify them with the New Englanar family and nothing. more definato, thaw & fimulany of Christian names w both famelles, fushas Enoch, Levi, Morecer, Solomon, Abraham, aver the liko My father, at the death of his father, was but pise gears of age; years of age; and he grew up, litterally without education. The removed from Kentucky to what is now Spencer County, Inow and on my eighth yearWe reachior our new home about the time the Staw camo onto the denow- to wila Gramal, sliter in the про Ther There I gre wew some schools, so called, but no qualification was ever regrind of a teacher, beyouar readin, writing, and cis Pezin reading, Thud- If a straggler happe by ding, waiting amovethulation to the Rule of supposed to understanes latin, than to pound in sojour the neighborhoow, he was looked upon as wizzard_ There was absolutely nothing to excito ambiation for sccucation. Of course when I came of адом dow not know much. Stite somehow, I could pear, prite, and cipher to the Rule of Threr, but ale_ I have not been to school pincom that was The little nowvanco I now have apon this plow of educers прои tion, I have band picked up from time to time unster the pressures of recent_ I was parsed to farms work, which I continued till I was twentytwo_ At twentyone I came to ви to Illinois, and passen the fast year in Illumin Macon Counts - Then I got New Falem (the in Sangamon, топо سا Mewond County, when I pus of black in or stow Then came the Black Howh and I was election a Captain of Ano mow peassure I have had since I went the for the Legislater the succes which than any campaign, was elation san pasur gear (1832, and was beater _ the only time I ever have been beaten by the peoplo- The next, anow threw succeeding brennial elections, I was electe en to the Lagertatur. I was for a canotinati afterumos. During this Legistatim perion I had and removed to Springfieen to make practice it _ In 1841 I was lower House of Congress - Was not a cons didate for re-election _ From 1849 to 1854, both inclision, practicra kawe now assiduously then before- Alway 2 ever why in politics; anos generally the why electoral lickers, making actum Caws I polities, when the repeal of the Merionn Compromir aconse mo again. What I hans If any personal description of me is thought pretty well known. desirable, it may I face, four mel, read; leaw in дей, мева, height, six flesh, weighing on dach on average, one hundred and eighty pounds; complexion, wrth course black hair; one grey eyesno other marks or havas pecollectio How J. W. Fell. You say inne Washington, DC. March 20.1872 He the undersigned here by catify that the firegoing statement is in the hands conting of Abraham Lincoln. David Dairs Lyman Frumbull Charles Summer CHAPTER IX FACING THE STORM FROM his election to his inauguration Lincoln was compelled to watch the end of Buchanan's government proceed on a course the opposite of the one he deemed wise. His election was the signal for a secession movement throughout the South. Never before had the territory of the country been so open to slavery; but the leaders knew that an election which meant no further yielding struck also the final doom of their institution, and they were determined to found a slave empire while they could, peaceably if possible, forcibly if necessary. It was the only time in the history of the Republic that a President had been chosen by one of the two hostile sections alone. Lincoln and Douglas had divided almost the entire vote of the North, Breckenridge and Bell almost the whole of the South, and for the first time since the nation was founded the President had received no electoral vote from a slave state. In this situation the secession leaders saw that the hour had come. The mass of the slave-owners |