e Secretary said to the President: 'The rebels are desperate, and
since they lost their shipload of explosives and poisoned clothes, with
their two friends who were to carry out their plans, they are determined
to attempt something else equally desperate, and we must look for raids,
fire and plunder. By the way,' said the Secretary to me, 'that was
rather a nice thing your son Jackson did in finding out all their
schemes in London. Had it not been for his discovery we never would have
known the desperation and infamy to which those men were driven.'

"'Yes,' said the President. 'Mr. Lyon, is he your eldest son now in the
army?'

"'I have but two left in the army--Jackson and Peter. The latter you
promoted for gallantry at Middleton Ridge. Jackson is now my oldest son
in the service.'

"'Mr. Secretary,' said the President, 'you will make out a commission
for him as Brigadier-General, and give it to Mr. Lyon to take home with
him as an evidence that we appreciate the services of his family, and
especially Jackson's great service in this most important matter.'

"I was visibly affected. The President saw it as he stood by a window
for a moment. I arose and thanked him. He said:

"'No, the obligation is the other way.'

"Just then a dispatch was handed the President, stating that quite
a number of prisoners had escaped from Camp Chase. He gave it to the
Secretary, saying:

"'I guess we were a little late in removing the commander of Camp Chase;
it ought to have been done sooner. Mr. Lyon,' said the President to
me, 'we will have to watch those fellows. They are doubtless up to some
game.'

"He asked me to keep Henry in Canada if I thought he could do good by
staying there. I promised him to do so, and after getting Jackson's
commission and bidding the President good-by I left for home, feeling
gratified at the recognition given me. Arriving at home, I found my
wife better, and when she found that Jackson had a commission as
Brigadier-General she seemed so happy that we felt that she would
entirely recover.

"I placed Jackson's commission in an envelope with a letter explaining
how the President came to promote him. When the boy returned from the
post-office he brought me a morning paper containing an account of
Beall's raid on St. Albans, Vt.; how he had sacked the town, robbed the
banks and alarmed the people. I said to Seraine, 'There it is! They have
carried out the first part of their program, and we will soo