Where Is It?

[RJNorton]

David, many historians don't trust the stories of Leonard Grover so I am not surprised that Prof. Burlingame did not include this one. My personal thinking on Grover is that he will start with a truth and then embellish some of the details in an attempt to make things more interesting for the reader.

The story comes from:

Leonard Grover, "Lincoln's Interest in the Theater," Century Magazine, (April 1909).

"It transpired that during the time the President's party was within the theater, the coachman, an Irishman under thirty years, instead of returning to the White House stables had accepted an invitation to take a drink in one of the numerous saloons, leaving the carriage in the charge of a drummer boy, who, after losing an arm in the service, had found employment with the President. One drink led to many, and after nearly three hours, the coachman was as full as he could hold of bad liquor.

In ignorance of the coachman's condition, I opened the carriage door, handed in Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Colfax following. As I closed the door of the carriage, there was a second jeering outburst. I turned to learn the cause. The one-armed drummer boy was on the box holding the lines in his single hand, while the coachman, having slipped from the wheel in his effort to mount to his seat, had fallen on the pavement. The coachman slowly regained his feet, staggered slightly, and then with a supreme effort, clambered over the wheel, landed on the box, seized the reins from the hand of the drummer-boy, and turning to take his seat fell sprawlingly his full length on the walk.

The jeering shout which followed had a threatening tone. Any overt act, the throwing of a stone, might have resulted in catastrophe. Twisting the reins from the fallen coachman's hand, I sprang to the box and started the team in quick time. At the head of the triangle, I pulled up and asked the President where he would like me to drive. He asked me, if I wouldn't mind, to take Mr. Colfax home. So to Mr. Colfax's house we went, somewhere off to the north of the Capitol; then we returned by way of F street to the White House. When we arrived there, I handed the carriage over to the attendants. As we stood under the White House portico, Mr. Lincoln grasped one of my hands and Mrs. Lincoln the other. Mr. Lincoln said, ''Mr. Grover, you have done me a very great service to-night, and one that I shall never forget. I have this to say to you; if at any time you want anything and it is in my power to grant it, you have only to ask and it shall be done." Mrs. Lincoln tugged at my other hand and said, "Remember, Mr. Grover—what Mr. Lincoln says he means."