To a curiosity-seeker who desired a permit to pass the lines to visit the field of Bull Run, after the first battle, Lincoln made the following reply:
“A man in Cortlandt county raised a porker of such unusual size that strangers went out of their way to see it.
“One of them the other day met the old gentleman and inquired about the animal.
“‘Wall, yes,’ the old fellow said, ‘I’ve got such a critter, mi’ty big un; but I guess I’ll have to charge you about a shillin’ for lookin’ at him.’
“The stranger looked at the old man for a minute or so, pulled out the desired coin, handed it to him and started to go off. ‘Hold on,’ said the other, ‘don’t you want to see the hog?’
“‘No,’ said the stranger; ‘I have seen as big a hog as I want to see!’
“And you will find that fact the case with yourself, if you should happen to see a few live rebels there as well as dead ones.”
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