WILLIAM PITT KELLOGG
CONCERNING ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Soon after the Lincoln Centennial Association (now the Abraham Lincoln Association) was founded in 1908, James R. B. Van Cleave, secretary of the publicity committee, wrote to many men and women who had known Lincoln and asked them for their reminiscences. Many of the replies were interesting and valuable, but one stood out above all others. That was the contribution of William Pitt Kellogg, printed here for the first time.
Until his death in 1918, he lived in retirement in Washington, D. C.
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The Kellogg reminiscence is dated Washington, Feb. 8, 1908. With others collected by Mr. Van Cleave, it is now in the Illinois State Historical Library.
[1]Angle, Paul, ed. Originally published in The Abraham Lincoln Quarterly, Vol. III, No. 7 (September 1945), The Abraham Lincoln Association, Springfield, Illinois.
LAST INTERVIEW WITH MR. LINCOLN
About the 1st of March 1865, 1 accompanied Governor Yates (who in January previous had been elected United States Senator from Illinois) to Washington to witness Mr. Lincoln's second inauguration.
We returned to Washington the first week in April. There was an embarrassing struggle pending over some of the Nebraska territorial appointments. It was understood that three of the territorial' officers were to be reappointed; myself as Chief Justice, A. S. Paddock as Secretary of the Territory, and P. H. Hitchcock as U. S. Marshal. As to the governorship there was some complication. Samuel G. Daily, who had served as Delegate in Congress from Nebraska for a number of years, and who was a warm personal friend of Mr. Lincoln and had been able to render him an important political service, was an active aspirant for the governorship, in opposition to Governor Alvin Saunders. Senator Harlan, a relative by marriage of Governor Saunders, was very anxious to see Saunders reappointed. On the morning of April 12, 1865, Senator Harlan and myself called upon Mr. Lincoln. The matter of the governorship of Nebraska was the particular subject of conversation. As we were leaving Mr. Lincoln requested me to return to see him that evening at eight o'clock.
I called upon President Lincoln as he requested on the ' evening of April 12th, . . .
Mr. Lincoln offered to appoint me Collector of the Port of New Orleans, and advised me to take the place. “He referred to Governor Saunders, and said he felt bound to reappoint him Governor of Nebraska on Harlan's account if for no other reason, and said he would like to find some place which would satisfy Daily. He made a remark during our conversation, seemingly aside and in a kind of reflective way, which I did not especially note at the time, but often afterwards recalled. It was: "Finances will rule the country for the next fifty years."
The next day about eleven o'clock I went to the White House with Governor Yates, . . . We saw Mr. Lincoln almost immediately. He sent a messenger to the Treasury Department for Secretary McCullough 1a Governor Yates and myself retired until the Secretary arrived, and we were then introduced by the President, who said he intended to appoint me Collector of the Port of New Orleans, and requested that my commission be made out at once.
During this interview I incidentally remarked to the President that I had seen Mr. Daily and told him of our conversation of the night before, and of the regret that the President had expressed that he could not appoint him Governor. I may add in this connection that after Mr. Lincoln's death Secretary McCullough at my request appointed Daily Chief Deputy Collector of the Port of New Orleans, which position he retained until the following September, when he died of yellow fever.
It was Good Friday, and there were but few people about the White House. I returned about four or five o'clock, and found either Mr. Hay or Mr. Nicolay, both of whom I knew well, in a small room adjoining the President, where my commission was handed to me. Mr. Lincoln was in his room, apparently signing papers. With a few words, to be careful and discreet in the discharge of my duties, he bade me goodbye.
S prvs]>[1]Angle, Paul, ed. Originally published in The Abraham Lincoln Quarterly, Vol. III, No. 7 (September 1945), The Abraham Lincoln Association, Springfield, Illinois.