best not to have any one know what was to be
attempted unless they could aid in carrying it out; but he said the
country would be startled very soon. Henry surmised what he meant, and
as soon as he could get away from Wintergreen he left for home.

"I sent him to the President with this information, also a letter
calling the President's attention to his great danger, and the danger in
which the country would be in the event that anything should occur that
would put the Vice-President in power. This was the last communication I
ever had with the best of all Presidents."

CHAPTER XX.

COLLAPSE OF THE GREAT REBELLION.--LAWS' ARMY SURRENDERS.--
THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

"After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well:
Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign envy, nothing
Can touch him farther."
--Shakespeare.

"When I left off speaking of Gen. Silent and his command in the East, and
continued my story about the West and Center, you will remember that he
had passed through eight days of bloody contest with Laws. We must now
return to him and understand the condition of things on his line while
these events were transpiring in the North, in Canada, and in Sherwood's
department, of which I have given you a history.

"Silent moved out in the night time the last of May, and on June the
first found a heavy force in his front. Fighting at once began again.
Sherlin was in the advance, and by direction held his ground through
that night. By daylight support reached him and his position was
secure. Silent now established his headquarters at an old tavern, under
wide-spreading trees, at Cool Haven, some ten or twelve miles from the
rebel Capital, and at once assaulted Laws in his works. The Union troops
charged with great dash and heroism, taking the enemy's first line of
rifle-pits; but the enemy, falling back to his shorter and stronger
line, was enabled to hold his position and force our troops to abandon
the assault. The contest continued during the afternoon and evening. Our
losses were quite heavy.

"On the next day a general assault was made, which resulted in our
repulse. The enemy being behind heavy earthworks, it proved too great a
task to dislodge him. Onr army was now intrenched, and heavy skirmishing
continued for several days. Laws made two assaults on our lines, but was
repulsed with severe loss on both occasions.

"A few m