He went out, and
within a few minutes fell from the high beams down to the
floor and was instantly killed.
The other story is that a little while before this happened
he said that he thought he saw the dim and misty figure of
a ship pass slowly from one side of the barn to the other,
under the roof.
A like story is told of Abraham Lincoln; that he used to
see a vision of a ship before any great event, and that it
came to him the night before he died.
I asked Mr. Secretary Hay about the Lincoln anecdote and give
his reply.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, April 18, 1903.
_Dear Senator Hoar:_
You will find on page 281 of Volume 10 of "The Life of Lincoln,"
by Nicolay and Hay, all I know about the story.
General Grant, in an interview with the President, on the
14th of April--the day he was shot--expressed some anxiety
as to the news from Sherman. "The President answered him
in that singular vein of poetic mysticism, which, though constantly
held in check by his strong common sense, formed a remarkable
element in his character. He assured Grant that the news
would come soon and come favorable, for he had last night
had his usual dream which preceded great events.
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