Tad Saves Jack the Turkey

[Eva Elisabeth]

Noah Brooks recorded the two stories about Jack as follows: "...a live turkey had been brought home for the Christmas dinner, but 'Tad' interceded in behalf of its life, and carried the case up to the Executive Chamber, securing a stay of proceedings until his father could be heard from. The argument was that the turkey had as good a right to live as any body else, and his plea was admitted and turkey's life spared." The soldiers on duty about the house made a pet of the bird, and on the last election day the boy came tearing up into his father's room to call his attention to the fact that the soldiers were voting. Noticing the turkey among them, the President asked 'Tad' if the turkey was voting, too; to which the boy promptly responded — 'O, no; he isn't of age yet!' The indulgent father thought that was reply was a great deal better than many of the so-called Lincoln stories."

(Michael Burlingame [ed]: "Lincoln Observed: Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks", pp. 198-1999/Dispatches and Letters 1865.)