In his first public speech, which had already been delivered, Lincoln
had contended that the Sangamon river was navigable, and it now fell to
his lot to assist in giving practical proof of his argument. A steamboat
had arrived at New Salem from Cincinnati, and Lincoln was hired as an
assistant in piloting the vessel through the uncertain channel of
the Sangamon river to the Illinois river. The way was obstructed by
a milldam. Lincoln insisted to the owners of the dam that under the
Federal Constitution and laws no one had a right to dam up or obstruct
a navigable stream and as he had already proved that the Sangamon was
navigable a portion of the dam was torn away and the boat passed safely
through.
“CAPTAIN LINCOLN” PLEASED HIM.
At this period in his career the Blackhawk War broke out, and Lincoln
was one of the first to respond to Governor Reynold’s call for a
thousand mounted volunteers to assist the United States troops in
driving Blackhawk back across the Mississippi. Lincoln enlisted in the
company from Sangamon county and was elected captain. He often remarked
that this gave him greater pleasure than anything that had happened in
his life up to this time. He had, however, no opportunities in this war
to perform any distinguished service.
Upon his return from the Blackhawk War, in which, as he said afterward,
in a humorous speech, when in Congress, that he “fought, bled and came
away,” he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Legislature. This was
the only time in his life, as he himself has said, that he was ever
beaten by the people. Although defeated, in his own town of New Salem he
received all of the two hundred and eight votes cast except three.