Through the summer and fall of 1830 and the early winter of 1831, Mr.
Lincoln worked in the vicinity of his father's new home, usually as a
farm-hand and rail-splitter. Most of his work was done in company with
John Hanks. Before the end of the winter he secured employment which
he has given an account of himself (writing again in the third
person):[A]
"During that winter Abraham, together with his stepmother's son, John
D. Johnston, and John Hanks, yet residing in Macon County, hired
themselves to Denton Offutt to take a flat-boat from Beardstown,
Illinois, to New Orleans, and for that purpose were to join
him--Offutt--at Springfield, Illinois, so soon as the snow should go
off. When it did go off, which was about March 1, 1831, the country
was so flooded as to make travelling by land impracticable; to obviate
which difficulty they purchased a large canoe and came down the
Sangamon River in it from where they were all living (near Decatur).
This is the time and manner of Abraham's first entrance into Sangamon
County. They found Offutt at Springfield, but learned from him that he
had failed in getting a boat at Beardstown. This led to their hiring
themselves to him for twelve dollars per month each, and getting the
timber out of the trees, and building a boat at old Sangamon town on
the Sangamon River, seven miles northwest of Springfield, which boat
they took to New Orleans, substantially on the old contract."
Sangamon town, where Mr. Lincoln built the flatboat, has, since his
day, completely disappeared from the earth; but then it was one of the
flourishing settlements on the river of that name. Lincoln and his
friends on arriving there in March immediately began work. There is
still living in Springfield, Illinois, a man who helped Lincoln at the
raft-building--Mr. John Roll, a well-known citizen, and one who has
been prominent in the material advancement of the city. Mr. Roll
remembers distinctly Lincoln's first appearance in Sangamon town. To a
representative of this MAGAZINE who talked with him recently in
Springfield he described Lincoln's looks when he first came to town.
"He was a tall, gaunt young man," Mr. Roll said, "dressed in a suit of
blue homespun jeans, consisting of a roundabout jacket, waistcoat, and
breeches which came to within about four inches of his feet. The
latter were encased in raw-hide boots, into the top of which, most of
the time, his pantaloons were stuffed. He wore a soft felt hat which
had at one time been black, but now, as its owner dryly remarked, 'it
had been sunburned until it was a combine of colors.'"
Mr. Roll's relation to the newcomer soon became something more than
that of a critical observer; he hired out to him, and says with pride,
"I made every pin which went into that boat."
[Footnote A: Short autobiography written for use in preparing a
campaign biography. "Abraham Lincoln. Complete Works." Edited by John
G. Nicolay and John Hay. Volume I., page 639. The Century Co.]
[Illustration: PRESENT SITE OF NEW SALEM.]