. . . . This evening and yesterday evening an hour was spent
by the President in shooting with Spencer’s new repeating rifle. A wonderful
gun, loading with absolutely contemptible simplicity and ease, with seven
balls, and firing the whole, readily and deliberately, in less than half a
minute. The President made some pretty good shots. Spencer, the inventor, a
quiet little Yankee who sold himself in relentless slavery to his idea for six
weary years before it was perfect, did some splendid shooting. . . . An
irrepressible patriot came up and talked about his son John who, when lying on
his belly on a hill-top at Gettysburg, feeling the shot fly over him, like to
lost his breath — felt himself puffing up like a toad — thought he would bust.
Another, seeing the gun recoil slightly, said it wouldn't do; too much powder;
a good piece of audience shouldn't rekyle; if it did at all, it should rekyle a
little forrid.
SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and
Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 93-4; For the whole diary entry see
Tyler Dennett, Editor, Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and
letters of John Hay, p. 81-2.
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