Extra Credit Questions

[David Lockmiller]

(03-06-2019 06:36 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Thanks David, I have read that story before, but could never find the source.

I thought you might enjoy reading a story from the same source in which President Lincoln attempts to teach his son the importance of remembering critical information.

In the summer of that year I was at the White House late one night, with my field maps spread out on the table, explaining some details of one of Grant's battles, when my attention was distracted by a gentle knocking on the panel of the door, to which the President gave no heed. Then the door-knob was rattled and a childish voice called: "Unfasten the door." Lincoln thereupon rose and drew the bolt, and Little Tad (then ten years old), in his nightgown, bounced in, jumped upon his father's lap, and threw his arms about his neck.

The little fellow, I afterward learned, was in the habit, if he awoke in the night, of creeping into his father's bed; but, on this occasion, not finding him, had come over to the office, which was on the same floor.

Lincoln, with his boy upon his knee, began with patience to teach him to make a certain signal by tapping on the desk, with Tad's fist doubled up in the father's big bony hand.

There were three quick raps, followed by two slower ones, thus ". . . --" and over and over again these dots and dashes were sounded on the desk until Tad made the signal correctly without his father's help.

It appears that the child had before been taught to make the signal on the office door whenever he wanted to come in, and that Tad could always gain admission. But on this occasion he had forgotten the signal, and so his father paid no attention to the disturbance until he heard his child's voice.

-- Thomas F. Pendel "Thirty-Six Years in the White House"