The flatboat was done in about a month, and Lincoln and his friends
prepared to leave Sangamon. Before he started, however, he was the
hero of an adventure so thrilling that he won new laurels in the
community. Mr. Roll, who was a witness to the whole exciting scene,
tells the story as follows:
"It was the spring following the winter of the deep snow.[A] Walter
Carman, John Seamon, myself, and at times others of the Carman boys,
had helped Abe in building the boat, and when he had finished we went
to work to make a dug-out, or canoe, to be used as a small boat with
the flat. We found a suitable log about an eighth of a mile up the
river, and with our axes went to work under Lincoln's direction. The
river was very high, fairly 'booming.' After the dug-out was ready to
launch we took it to the edge of the water, and made ready to 'let her
go,' when Walter Carman and John Seamon jumped in as the boat struck
the water, each one anxious to be the first to get a ride. As they
shot out from the shore they found they were unable to make any
headway against the strong current. Carman had the paddle, and Seamon
was in the stern of the boat. Lincoln shouted to them to 'head
upstream' and 'work back to shore,' but they found themselves
powerless against the stream. At last they began to pull for the wreck
of an old flatboat, the first ever built on the Sangamon, which had
sunk and gone to pieces, leaving one of the stanchions sticking above
the water. Just as they reached it Seamon made a grab, and caught hold
of the stanchion, when the canoe capsized, leaving Seamon clinging to
the old timber, and throwing Carman into the stream. It carried him
down with the speed of a mill-race, Lincoln raised his voice above the
roar of the flood, and yelled to Carman to swim for an elm-tree which
stood almost in the channel, which the action of the high water
changed. Carman, being a good swimmer, succeeded in catching a branch,
and pulled himself up out of the water, which was very cold, and had
almost chilled him to death; and there he sat, shivering and
chattering in the tree. Lincoln, seeing Carman safe, called out to
Seamon to let go the stanchion and swim for the tree. With some
hesitation he obeyed, and struck out, while Lincoln cheered, and
directed him from the bank. As Seamon neared the tree he made one grab
for a branch, and, missing it, went under the water. Another desperate
lunge was successful, and he climbed up beside Carman. Things were
pretty exciting now, for there were two men in the tree, and the boat
was gone.
"It was a cold, raw April day, and there was great danger of the men
becoming benumbed and falling back into the water. Lincoln called out
to them to keep their spirits up and he would save them. The village
had been alarmed by this time, and many people had come down to the
bank. Lincoln procured a rope, and tied it to a log. He called all
hands to come and help roll the log into the water, and after this had
been done, he, with the assistance of several others, towed it some
distance up the stream. A daring young fellow by the name of 'Jim'
Dorrell then took his seat on the end of the log, and it was pushed
out into the current, with the expectation that it would be carried
downstream against the tree where Seamon and Carman were. The log was
well directed, and went straight to the tree; but Jim, in his
impatience to help his friends, fell a victim to his good intentions.
Making a frantic grab at a branch, he raised himself off the log, and
it was swept from under him by the raging water, and he soon joined
the other two victims upon their forlorn perch. The excitement on
shore increased, and almost the whole population of the village
gathered on the river bank. Lincoln had the log pulled up the stream,
and securing another piece of rope, called to the men in the tree to
catch it if they could when he should reach the tree. He then
straddled the log himself, and gave the word to push out into the
stream. When he dashed into the tree, he threw the rope over the stump
of a broken limb, and let it play until he broke the speed of the log,
and gradually drew it back to the tree, holding it there until the
three now nearly frozen men had climbed down and seated themselves
astride. He then gave orders to the people on the shore to hold fast
to the end of the rope which was tied to the log, and leaving his rope
in the tree he turned the log adrift, and the force of the current
acting against the taut rope swung the log around against the bank,
and all 'on board' were saved. The excited people, who had watched the
dangerous experiment with alternate hope and fear, now broke into
cheers for Abe Lincoln and praises for his brave act. This adventure
made quite a hero of him along the Sangamon, and the people never
tired of telling of the exploit."
[Footnote A: 1830-1831. "The winter of the deep snow" is the date
which is the starting point in all calculations of time for the early
settlers of Illinois, and the circumstance from which the old settlers
of Sangamon County receive the name by which they are generally known,
"Snowbirds."]
[Illustration: A MATRON OF NEW SALEM IN 1832.
This costume, worn by Mrs. Lucy M. Bennett of Petersburg, Illinois,
has been a familiar attraction at old settlers' gatherings in Menard
County, for years. The dress was made by Mrs. Hill, of New Salem, and
the reticule or workbag will be readily recognized by those who have
any recollection of the early days. The bonnet occupied a place in the
store of Samuel Hill at New Salem. It was taken from the store by Mrs.
Hill, worn for a time by her, and has been carefully preserved to this
day. It is an imported bonnet--a genuine Leghorn--and of a kind so
costly that Mr. Hill made only an occasional sale of one. Its price,
in fact, was $25.]
[Illustration: MAP OF NEW SALEM.
Map made by J. McCan Davis, aided by surviving inhabitants of New
Salem. Dr. John Allen was the leading physician of New Salem. He was a
Yankee, and was at first looked upon with suspicion, but he was soon
running a Sunday-school and temperance society, though strongly
opposed by the conservative church people. Dr. Allen attended Ann
Rutledge in her last illness. He was thrifty, and moving to Petersburg
in 1840, became wealthy. He died in 1860. Dr. Francis Regnier was a
rival physician and a respected citizen. Samuel Hill and John McNeill
(whose real name subsequently proved to be McNamar) operated a general
store next to Berry & Lincoln's grocery. Mr. Hill also owned the
carding-machine. He moved his store to Petersburg in 1839, and engaged
in business there, dying quite wealthy. Jack Kelso followed a variety
of callings, being occasionally a school-teacher, now and then a
grocery clerk, and always a fisher and hunter. He was a man of some
culture, and, when warmed by liquor, quoted Shakespeare and Burns
profusely, a habit which won for him the close friendship of Lincoln.
Joshua Miller was a blacksmith, and lived in the same house with
Kelso--a double house. He is said to be still living, somewhere in
Nebraska. Miller and Kelso were brothers-in law. Philemon Morris was a
tinner. Henry Onstott was a cooper by trade. He was an elder in the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and meetings were often held at his
house. Rev. John Berry, father of Lincoln's partner, frequently
preached there. Robert Johnson was a wheelwright, and his wife took in
weaving. Martin Waddell was a hatter. He was the best-natured man in
town, Lincoln possibly excepted. The Trent brothers, who succeeded
Berry & Lincoln as proprietors of the store, worked in his shop for a
time. William Clary, one of the first settlers of New Salem, was one
of a numerous family, most of whom lived in the vicinity of "Clary's
Grove." Isaac Burner was the father of Daniel Green Burner, Berry &
Lincoln's clerk. Alexander Ferguson worked at odd jobs. He had two
brothers, John and Elijah. Isaac Gollaher lived in a house belonging
to John Ferguson. "Row" Herndon, at whose house Lincoln boarded for a
year or more after going to New Salem, moved to the country after
selling his store to Berry & Lincoln. John Cameron, one of the
founders of the town, was a Presbyterian preacher and a highly
esteemed citizen.--_Note prepared by J. McCan Davis_.]