William R. Rathvon

9 years old

He was the youngest documented eyewitness. William was Pallatine, Illinois. He was the only known witness that documented the speech on audio along with narrating his experience. The Rathvon family traveled from Lancaster to hear Lincoln's famous speech and it did not disappoint, at least not for 9-year-old William. He took a 30-minute recording on a seventy-eight r.p.m. record of him describing how he and some friends searched the battlefield beforehand for souvenirs and found a musket at the bottom of the creek, as well as his family's experience during the war. His uncle's farm was used as headquarters for Confederate General Richard Ewell and his grandmother was hiding union troops that were kidnapped by southern troops. He goes on to describe this experience and says that when Lincoln stepped up, he "with a manner serious almost to sadness, gave his brief address.' He also describes his serious face and how he did not completely understand it.