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Old Resident Tells Story* /. r •/Of Lincoln’s Visit HereWilliam C. Storrick Proudly Recalls ShakingHands With Civil War President; Qives DetailsOf Program At Occasion Of Immortal Addresslt;lt;I shook hands with Lincoln.”tysburg. Some reports have it thatThus spoke Mr. William C. Stor- this horse was small, but as Mr. Storrick, former Superintendent of Bat- rick remembers it, it was quite atlefield Guides and writer of an au- good-sized bay. However, Lincoln’s thoritative work on the battle of long legs hung so low that he madeGettysburg, in a recent interview in the horse look small.connection with the first celebra- The program opened with selection of that decisive battle of the tions by the Birgfield musical or-Civil War, the seventy-fifth anniver- ganization, followed by a prayersary of which will be held next July, by the Rev. T. H. Stockton, D.D. On the nineteenth of November, Music was played by the Marine1863, Mr. Storrick was living about Band, then an oration was given bythree miles east of the then small the Hon. Edward Everett, who town of Gettysburg, the scene only a traced the history of the disposal offew short months before of that the war dead clear back to the three-day engagement which proved Greeks and then proceeded to de-to be the turning point in the for- scribe the entire three days’ fight-tunes of the Confederacy.ing in the battle of Gettysburg; thetThe weekly papers had announced speech lasting approximately one that the President of the United hour and 45 minutes. MusicStates, Abraham Lincoln, was to in the form of a hymn, composed speak on that date at the dedicatory especially for the occasion by B. S.services for the new National Ceme- French, Esq., allowed the crowd to tery for those soldiers of both sides relax for another long address bywho had died in the battle.Mr. Storrick, then but eight yearsthe President.Lincoln slowly drew his manu-old, drove in to town with his fa- script from his pocket and calmly ther on the morning of the nine- drew forth and adjusted his spec-teenth and learned that Mr. Lincoln tacles before approaching the front was staying with Judge Wills on the of the rostrum. As everyone knows,square. They made their way to the he was finished in a short time. The -York. street entrance of the Wills entire assembly was astonished atbuilding, and pushed close to the its brevity. Neither Mr. Storrick door to await the appearance of the nor any other spectator with, whomPresident.he has spoken remembers any ap-That moment has lived so vividly plause whatsoever. No one then in Mr. Storrick's memory that he realized the significance or great-recalls all of the details perfectly. When Mr. Lincoln appeared, theness of the speech.Ward Hill Lamon, marshal of thevery flrst thing that impressed itself District of Columbia who had ac-lipon the mind of the waiting youth companied Lincoln to Washingtonwas his great height.. His six foot, from Hilnois, was master of cere-four inch,, stature was greatly .en- monies and is the authority for Mr.hanced by the stove-pipe hat which Storrick’s statement that Lincoln he wore.His tired and. care-worn begin preparing his address be-face lingers distinctly in Mr. Stor- fore left Washington, althoughrick’s memory.he revised it into its finished foriAs the president passed through foWills building.the doorway, he shook hands with The crowd of perhaps 25 thou-Mr. Storrick, his father, and some sand dispersed, among them the of the .others who crowded around boy, William Storrick, who is proudwith outstretched hands.. He*then today of having had the honor of proceeded to the street and mounted-! shaking hands with the great Civilthe Jhorse, a former army animal War President and authpr of the then owned by a fanner near Get-1 immortal Gettysburg Address.
Newspaper Details
Gettysburg Weekly Gettysburgian
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Mar 17, 1938
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
PA, USA 25 Mar 2020
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