Identifier: frompioneerhom00thay (find matches)
Title: From pioneer home to the White House : life of Abraham Lincoln: boyhood, youth, manhood, assassination, death
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Thayer, William Makepeace, 1820-1898 Bancroft, George, 1800-1891
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Presidents
Publisher: Boston : J.H. Earle
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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e, nor is it necessary for our purpose.They lived upon the flat-boat, of course. At nightthey drew it up to the bank of the river, in somefavorable spot, and tied it safely; then laid down ontheir running board, as a flat-boat was sometimescalled, to sleep. They had no bed and nothing buta blanket to cover them. True, this was not so greata change for boys who were reared in the wilderness,as it would be for boys of this day who are used to thecomforts and conveniences of affluent homes. Still itwas a change, and many of their nights were extremelylonely. Their voyage was not monotonous. The scenerywas continually changing, and they frequently passedother boats with their merry crews, and held conver-sations with people who flocked to the banks of theriver from adjacent villages. Where are you from ? Where are you bound ? What are you loadedwith? were questions that they frequently had toanswer. The days were not all sunshine. Heavy stormssometimes descended upon them, and they had to
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A Flat-Boatman. ON THE FLAT-BOAT. 165 exert themselves to the utmost to keep their littlecraft right side up. Day after day they were drenchedwith rain, and still they must keep on the voyage.Violent storms sometimes raged at night, the windblowing almost a hurricane, and the rain pouring downin torrents, and still there was no alternative, — theymust make their bed on their little boat and take thepelting of the storm. Those were times that triedtheir spirit, and yet they had no complaints to utter.Never for a moment did Abraham wish he had notundertaken the voyage. The object of his expeditionhad taken complete possession of his soul. At Madame Bushanes plantation, six miles belowBaton Rouge, they had an adventure that is worthy ofrehearsal here. The boat was tied up, and the boyswere fast asleep in the stern when footsteps on boardawoke them. After listening a moment, Abrahamwhispered: Foul play, Allen! A gang of niggers come torob us! Thinking to frighten them away, Allen shoute

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