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 Paul
recounted the horrific and
paralyzing Civil War, which was
witnessed by all that both sides
lost so very much — more lives,
causalities and property loss than
any war before or since. He used
this short but vivid recounting to
set the stage of Lincoln
University's "Rise from the Ashes" —
which has led us to believe that its
formation, struggle and existence
throughout the years was in large
part both a benevolent as well as an
obligated undertaking to forever
establish and continue our fallen
namesake's institution of higher
learning here in Lincoln, Illinois.
Beaver explained that a group of
Cumberland Presbyterians from the
Southern states established the
First Presbyterian Church in
Lincoln, Illinois, in 1857 –
believed to be the first such church
of their denomination in the
northern states. Soon after, this
Logan County denomination made plans
to help establish a university here,
which would also be their first such
one in the northern states (there
had been other Presbyterian
universities established in the
South).
He also showed a powerpoint copy
of the letter by trustee, Col.
Robert B. Latham, sent to President
Lincoln in early March, 1865. The
letter spelled out the existence of
the University's charter established
earlier in the year and plans for an
endowment. It also mentioned, "...to
inform you more fully of the
University and of the prosperity of
our town, believing you feel a
lively interest in it, on account of
its being named for you before
Presidential honors had any
influence." Beaver provided
additional documentation of Col.
Richard Oglesby's (later twice
Governor of Illinois) visit to the
White House on the very day of
Lincoln's assassination. Beaver and
the rest of us believe that
President Lincoln and Oglesby must
have talked a bit about the
formation of Lincoln University in
the President's name, albeit just a
few days following Lee's surrender
at Appomattox on April 9th — just
six days before the terrible deed.
Beaver pointed out that a Central
Illinois land baron, William Scully,
reached into his vest pocket and
took out a check. He promptly made
the check out for $5,000 for an
immediate payment on the
University's loan note that was due.
There were many others, said Beaver,
namely local cattle baron and a
close friend of Lincoln, John D.
Gillette, who also solicited and
provided funding — with Gillette and
Scully, probably lots of it.
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top of second column]
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An extremely interesting side bar
was revealed when Beaver told of the
invitation by a local Lincoln
Presbyterian Church Pastor of John
Brown Gordon, a Confederate General
who fought with Lee on the Eastern
front, to speak at his church in the
late 1800's. The pastor was also of
Southern military background, but
who long ago had forgiven the North.
He had grown to understand the
fallen President's fervent desire to
keep the union intact as well as to
prove to the Europeans that the
United States no longer harbored the
medieval institution of slavery. To
aid in this transformation from
hatred and sorrow to love and
acceptance, the Pastor invited
General Gordon to speak at one of
his services — the General, himself,
having experienced this
transformation.
Professor Beaver's description of
the event from Chapter 7 of his
recent book, Abraham Lincoln in
Logan County, Illinois — 1834 -
1860:
Signs that the wounds from the war
had begun to heal were evidenced on
a winter evening on December 1,
1898, when over 500 local citizens,
many Union veterans, gathered in the
“new” First Presbyterian Church on
Pekin Street in Lincoln to hear an
address by former Confederate
General John Brown Gordon. Gordon
had been one of General Robert E.
Lee's most trusted commanders. The
man who introduced Gordon that
evening was three-time Governor of
Illinois Richard J. Oglesby. The
event was arranged in part by the
church's pastor, Dr. R. M. Tinnon,
who himself was a four-year
Confederate war veteran who had
suffered three combat wounds, and
with efforts by the local Leo W.
Myers G.A.R. Post. The article in
the December 2, 1898 Lincoln Daily
Courier noted that General Gordon
was often interrupted with applause
during his nearly two-hour address.
Lincoln's population at this time
had grown to around 8,000.
The Elkhart Historical Society, at
Wild Hare Café in Elkhart, undertake
an annual dinner/ lecture series,
featuring speakers who speak on
engaging topics — often on some
aspect of the history of Logan
County or of some former Logan
County personality of importance.
Check these websites for future
events:
www.elkharthistoricalsociety.org
and
www.wildharecafe-elk-il.com.
[Phil Bertoni]
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