"'Many times have I seen him studying at odd moments, with a book or something to write on, when others were having a good time. That was what made him so great.
"'In August, before the spring that the Lincoln's left for Illinois, a township election was held at a log house near where the town of Santa Fe now stands.... All the men in the neighborhood were gathered there, and conspicuous among them was one, Sampson, a braggart and bully. He was storming around, praising a horse he had.
"'"Why," said he, "I ran him four miles in five minutes this morning, and he never drew a long breath!"
"'Abe, who was sitting on a rail fence near me, remarked quietly to him, "I suppose, though, Mr. Sampson, he drew a good many short ones."
"'This was just the opening Sampson was looking for, so he began to bluster up to Lincoln. After standing abuse for a few minutes, Abe told him to hush up or he would take him by the nape of the neck and throw him over the fence. [At this point the old captain interrupted my reading, and said, "Lincoln did not say he would throw him over the fence, but said he would throw him into a pond of water near by."] This had an effect, and Sampson shut up, because he knew Abe could, and would do what he said.
"'My father's house was on the road between Gentryville and the nearest trading-point on the Ohio River, at Troy. To this place the settlers took their deer and bear hides, venison hams, and other game, for which they received clothes, powder, and other necessary articles. Lincoln and his father had constructed a wagon for old man Gentry, made entirely out of wood, even to the hickory rims to the wheels.
"'This they loaded with produce, and started for Troy. Arriving at my father's house, a rain had swollen the creek near there, so that they decided to stay all night, and wait for the water to subside. During the night wolves stole nearly all the venison from the wagon. That which belonged to the Lincolns was not touched, however; it was in the bottom of the wagon. My father was a very serious man, and scarcely ever smiled, but Abe, with his droll ways and pleasant humor, always made him laugh.
"'A great grief, which affected Abe through his life, was caused by the death of his only sister, Sally. They were close companions, and were a great deal alike in temperament. About a year after her marriage to one of the Grigsbys, she died. This was a hard blow to Abe, who always thought her death was due to neglect. Abe was in a little smoke-house when the news came to him that she had died. He came to the door and sat down, burying his face in his hands. The tears trickled through his large fingers, and sobs shook his frame. From then on he was alone in the world, you might say.'"