Lincoln Lost the Inaugural Address or Ward Lamon Hill to the Rescue

Lincoln on his way to Washington, after his first election, lost his Inaugural Address, but Ward Lamon Hill came to the rescue. Lincoln had toiled many weeks on the speech, didn’t have any notes and could not recreate the document before inauguration day. He approached his former law partner and new body-guard, Ward Lamon Hill, to explain his predicament and how he had lost his “certificate of moral character.” Lincoln related how he had stashed the speech in his leather grip, fastened the lock and given it to his son, Robert, for safe keeping. He related to Hill a story that reminded him of the situation;

“I feel a good deal as the old member of the Methodist Church did when he lost his wife at the camp meeting, and went up to an old elder of the church and asked him if he could tell him the whereabouts in hell his wife was. In fact, I’m in a worse fix than my Methodist friend, for if it was only a wife that were missing, mine would sure to bob up somewhere.”

Ward Lamon Hill dashed about the hotel in Harrisburg looking for the satchel. The hotel clerk suggested he look in the baggage room. There lo and behold, was the leather grip. Lincoln stated that it looked like his, inserted the key and unlocked the satchel. However, all it contained was some soiled clothes and a bottle of whiskey. Eventually, Hill unearthed the locked, leather grip, that contained the Inaugural Address, under a pile of baggage.

Lincoln and Hill told many amusing tales, of the loss and recovery of the address. One of Lincoln’s stories regarded a fellow that he knew, who had saved up $1500.00 and deposited it in a private bank. The bank failed and the young man received 10% of his initial savings or $150.00. The man decided on another institution and deposited the remaining money. This firm additionally failed and the discouraged man pocketed what remained of his savings, $15.00. A now financially wise young man looked at the money in his hand and stated, “Now darn you, now that you’re reduced to a portable shape, I’ll put you in my pocket.”

Lincoln, taking heed from his own tale, removed the Inaugural Address from the grip and placed it in the inside pocket of his vest. Lincoln and Hill still guarded the locked leather valise for the remainder of the trip to Washington, just as if it contained the new President’s “certificate of moral character.”

Bummer