e for a short time; he then asked me if Gen. Anderson would not
like to come East and have a better command. He said he did not think he
had been given a command equal to his ability; that he would order
him East if agreeable. I wrote the General as soon as I returned to my
hotel.

"The conversation was then turned to the report of Henry. The
President seemed serious, and said the astounding statement about the
Vice-President worried him, and yet, he said, it was almost incredible.

"Gen. Silent said he could believe it, but was very much surprised at
his having the interview and disclosing his opinions to our enemies.
Silent said he made some curious statements to him while he was making
his headquarters at Nashua, but he attributed it to Tennessee whisky
more than to any wrong motive in his mind, until he repeated the same
things over more than once. He thought strange of it, but did not
mention the conversation.

"'But,' said the Secretary, 'what do you say to the attempt they are to
make to capture you two gentlemen?'

"Silent said: 'That scheme has already failed. Our knowledge of the fact
defeats it. You must have a guard of at least one company of infantry
at or near the White House, and the officers must be notified, in
confidence, why they are placed here. There must be a company of cavalry
ordered here for escort to the President, and he must not go out of call
of the guards without an escort.'

"The President said: 'This will not look well, but I suppose I must do
it for safety. I do not like this Vice-President's talk; it worries me.
But how about yourself, Gen. Silent; they seem to be after you as well.'

"'Yes,' said the General; 'but you must remember that I am surrounded by
an army, and this notice protects me. I will look after that hereafter.
The truth is, they might have caught me napping, as I have heretofore
had but a small guard. I will make it large enough when I return. My
fears, however, are very much increased, as I see that there were many
of those conspirators in favor of taking the proposition to assassinate
instead of capture. That can be done in spite of guards, by reckless men
who will take desperate chances. This is what we must look out for. I
see that they are to take orders from Jacob Thomlinson, who is a most
reckless man, without any of the instincts of humanity, and utterly
without any regard for the rules of civilized warfare. He is a very
dangerous man if he has about him t