Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Miles, James. 'James Miles (William H. Herndon Interview)' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: interview]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon473a.html

[1865 — 66]

Jas Miles

Says — That Saml Hill told him of this story of Lincoln — One Johnson ^[2] — an ignorant, but ostentatious — proud man, used to go to Lincolns P.O. Every dy — sometimes 3 or 4 times a day — if in town, and Enquire — "Anything for me" — This bored Lincoln — yet it amused him: L. fixed a plan — wrote a letter to Johnson as coming from a negress in Ky — saying many good things about opposum, — dances — Corn shuckings — &c. and Ending — "Johns — Come & see me and old master won't Kick you out of the Kitchen any more." Elmore took it out — opened it — couldn't read a word — pretended to read it — went & got some friends to read it — read it correctly — thought the reader was fooling him — went to others — with the same result — At last Johnson said he would get Lincoln to read it — presented it to L: it was almost too much for him — read it. The man never asked afterwards — Any thing here for me.

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 3964; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:473

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