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259. Johnson Gaines Greene (William H. Herndon Interview).

Octr. 5th 1866

J. Gaines Green

Says he Knew Jason Duncan in or about New Salem about the year 1835 — 6: he was a physician — Knew Lincoln well ie Duncan did. D & Lincoln were great friends — Duncan married a Miss Burner — Jane: They live in Canton Fulton. Duncan's Wife had a child — father uncertain — supposed to be Duncan's — or Lincoln's L. advised Duncan to leave and Marry

Polly Owen — now Mrs Vinyard of Missouri is decidedly the most intellectual

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woman I Ever Knew. She was Abes "Sweetheart — " is now about 59 years of age —

I heard the Eulogy of A Lincoln on Bolin Green: he made a failure — cause Emotion — a swelled heart & soul — &c — This was in 1842.

The people at New Salem rolled Scanlan & Sol Spear down Salem hill. The children at School had Made a wide Sliding walk from S to the River in which they slid down from the top of the hill to the river about 250 or 300 yards on sleds & boards — and it was down this [path?] Jack Armstrong and others Started the the men — in a hogshead — hogshead went wrong — leaped over an Embankment — came near Killing Scanlin —

Jack Armstrong & a man had a difficulty — Jack called him a liar — a son of a bitch — coward — &c. &c the man backed up to a wood pile — got a Stick — struck Jack a blow — felled him. Jack Armstrong was as strong as 2 men. Jack wanted to whip the man badly. At last they agreed to Compromise the Matter — Made Abe arbitrator — Abe said — "Well Jack what did you say to the man" Jack repeated what he had said — Lincoln then Said — Jack if you were a stranger in a strange place as this man is, and you were called a d — d liar &c — What would you do — Said "Jack hit by God." "Well then Jack." Said Lincoln "this man has done no more to you than you would have done to him. "Well Abes" — responded Jack "Its'all right." Jack took hold of the mans hand — shook it honestly — forgave the man — treated him &c —

Petersburg was laid of — Taylor's addition — Feby 17th 1836 — Surveyed by A Lincoln — Petersburg — Bennetts addition was laid off by A Lincoln — June 6th 1837 — Huron was surveyed by A Lincoln 6th July 1837.

(Petersburg Bennetts add was laid off by A Lincoln 6 June 1837
Huron do do do 6th July 1836)

Petersburg was laid off Feby 17th 1836 — by A Lincoln
I. 397 — 321

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2690 — 92; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:387 — 88

nts

Notes.

1. See §127, note 13.

2. The matter in parentheses is on a separate slip attached to the document.