Among the men whom Captain Lincoln met in the Black Hawk campaign were
Lieutenant-Colonel Zachary Taylor, Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, President
of the Confederacy, and Lieutenant Robert Anderson, all of the United
States Army.
Judge Arnold, in his “Life of Abraham Lincoln,” relates that Lincoln and
Anderson did not meet again until some time in 1861. After Anderson had
evacuated Fort Sumter, on visiting Washington, he called at the White
House to pay his respects to the President. Lincoln expressed his thanks
to Anderson for his conduct at Fort Sumter, and then said:
“Major, do you remember of ever meeting me before?”
“No, Mr. President, I have no recollection of ever having had that
pleasure.”
“My memory is better than yours,” said Lincoln; “you mustered me into
the service of the United States in 1832, at Dixon’s Ferry, in the Black
Hawk war.”