Kiss

[David Lockmiller]

(11-19-2021 03:44 PM)AussieMick Wrote:  Yes, of course it was Henry Wing reporting events pertaining to Battle of the Wilderness May 1864.
Other clues were to be Wing's horse Jess and Grant's insistence that his message be conveyed to Lincoln in person and only when alone.

It's a great story. ... and Wing was a newspaper man. So, he would always tell the truth without embellishments. .... wouldn't he? "Lincoln kissed me " Hmmmm.

Yes, we will have to take Mr Wing's word for what happened. Until proven otherwise .....

If you look at the close-up photographs of President Lincoln near the end of the Civil War, it is quite believable. There is a photograph of Lincoln in the post that Gene made today on a different thread. Look at the eyes.

“You wanted to speak to me? said Mr. Lincoln.

“Yes, Mr. President. I have a message for you – a message from General Grant. He told me I was to give it to you when you were alone.”

In an instant the President was all awareness, intent – “Something from Grant to me?”

“Yes,” blurted out Henry. “He told me I was to tell you, Mr. President, that there would be no turning back.”

The harried man had waited long – three years – for such a word – the one word that could have brought him help in his despair; and his long arm swept around and gathered the boy to him, and bending over he pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Come and tell me about it,” he said.

They sat down, and suddenly all of Henry’s journalistic discretion was gone. Here was one who had the right to know, and so he told him of the horrors and uncertainties of that day in the Wilderness – of men fighting without knowing where they were going, fighting in groups not masses; of Hancock, left without support; of Warren’s over-caution, bottling up the troops that Hancock had expected to support him; of a day gone wrong from start to finish.

He told how, when night had come and commanders and correspondents had gathered at headquarters, there had been angry charges, one officer accusing another; of Meade’s decision that they should fall back north of the river, reestablish their lines, and try again later, and how General Grant had come in with his quiet but final, “No, we shall attack again in the morning.”