Seen in the hallway soon afterwards
he waved his hand and insisted on telling more about home
conditions and about what the officers would find if they went up
there. On still another occasion he reiterated the same things,
giving many details.
It was about this time that John was found to give strangely
fantastic and childish accounts of circumstances with which he
had been connected. We transcribe his story of a celebration at
a school--it is a good example of his tales.
``They had it on Lincoln's birthday and on the 4th of July, too.
The teacher did not believe that Abraham Lincoln freed the
slaves. The children said, oh yes, he did. But they did not
believe it. The children all hollered and said yes, he did.
Then they all run up on the platform and got to fighting about
it. The teachers would not believe that Lincoln freed the slaves
till an old soldier came up there and told them yes, he did do
it.'' I questioned him about this matter whether it was only a
play they had, or were they in earnest. ``Oh, all in earnest and
they had a fight about it. The teachers would not believe that
Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and the children all run up on
the platform and had a fight about it.
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