Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/102

 of the troops. The North won some hard fights. The South had bad times but its folks bore up with brave hearts. They could not get goods, and crops were poor, still they won on the field more than once.

It would seem that a flash of luck came to them when, with Gen-er-al Lee at the head, troops from the South went o'er the Po-to-mac to Ma-ry-land. Harm might then come to Wash-ing-ton. It was a dark time for the cause of the North.

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.

One day in the fall of the year 1862, the Pres-i-dent had the men who were his help in time of need sit still while he read strong words to them. He told them that from the first day of the year 1863 the black race should be free. As the South had not quit war when that day came Lin-coln said that in all the States of the South that were still at war all the slaves were free. Two years from then all the slaves in the land were made free. Hosts of black men took their place with Un-ion troops in ships, at forts, on the field, or where there was need for them. They were brave and did good work.

In June, 1863, the troops of the South in charge of Gen. Lee came once more o'er the Po-to-mac, but on the first three days of Ju-ly, the troops of the North drove them back in the great fight at Get-tys-burg

This good news spread North on "In-de-pen-dence Day," and at the same time came word that on that same