William Scott, private? He was a boy from a Vermont farm.

There had been a long march, and the night succeeding it he had stood on
picket. The next day there had been another long march, and that night
William Scott had volunteered to stand guard in the place of a sick
comrade who had been drawn for the duty.

It was too much for William Scott. He was too tired. He had been found
sleeping on his beat.

The army was at Chain Bridge. It was in a dangerous neighborhood.
Discipline must be kept.

William Scott was apprehended, tried by court-martial, sentenced to
be shot. News of the case was carried to Lincoln. William Scott was a
prisoner in his tent, expecting to be shot next day.

But the flaps of his tent were parted, and Lincoln stood before him.
Scott said:

"The President was the kindest man I had ever seen; I knew him at once
by a Lincoln medal I had long worn.

"I was scared at first, for I had never before talked with a great man;
but Mr. Lincoln was so easy with me, so gentle, that I soon forgot my
fright.

"He asked me all about the people at home, the neighbors, the farm, and
where I went to school, and who my schoolmates were. Then he asked
me about mother and how she looked; and I was glad I could take her
photograph from my bosom and show it to him.

"He said how thankful I ought to be that my mother still lived, and how,
if he were in my place, he would try to make her a proud mother, and
never cause her a sorrow or a tear.

"I cannot remember it all, but every word was so kind.

"He had said nothing yet about that dreadful next morning; I thought it
must be that he was so kind-hearted that he didn't like to speak of it.

"But why did he say so much about my mother, and my not causing her a
sorrow or a tear, when I knew that I must die the next morning?

"But I supposed that was something that would have to go unexplained;
and so I determined to brace up and tell him that I did not feel a bit
guilty, and ask him wouldn't he fix it so that the firing party would
not be from our regiment.

"That was going to be the hardest of all--to die by the hands of my
comrades.

"Just as I was going to ask him this favor, he stood up, and he says to
me:

"'My boy, stand up here and look me in the face.'

"I did as he bade me.

"'My boy,' he said, 'you are not going to be shot to-morrow. I believe
you when you tell me that you could not keep awake.

"'I am going to trust you, and send you back t