United States and send his messages and communications accordingly. If
the Republicans resisted he would disperse them by force, and thereby
make them the rebels against the lawful Government, as he claimed, and
in that way turn it over to its enemies and their sympathizers, with
himself as their chief instead of Mr. Davis, holding the Capital and all
the Government archives. If he could induce the General of the Army to
obey his orders he could carry out this scheme; if not, he would get rid
of the General and try and find some other officer upon whom he could
rely. To be prepared in case he could not use the Commander of the Army,
a force was to be organized in Maryland and Virginia, which was to sweep
down upon Washington and take possession before outside forces could be
organized against the President's authority, using in connection with
this force such of the army as would obey him. He tested the General
of the Army and found he could not use him to aid in starting a new
rebellion. He then concluded that he would send him away to Mexico, and
put in some pliant tool as Secretary of War, and then put this scheme in
operation.

"Just about this time an application was made to the General of the
Army, without coming through the Secretary of War, by the State of
Maryland, for its quota of arms. This at once struck the General as
strange. He went to the Secretary of War, and upon consultation the
application was placed among the relics of the past. In a day or so
the President inquired of the General if he had received such an
application. The General said he had, and was asked what he was going to
do. He answered that it would be looked into. This seemed to the General
very unusual, for a President to be looking after such things.

"I had gone to Washington to look after pay that was due three of my
sons when killed. While sitting with Gen. Anderson in his room, soon
after my arrival, a knock was heard at the door. A boy entered with a
note from the Secretary of War, saying he had just heard of my arrival
and desired to see me."

"The next morning as soon as I could I went to his office. When I met
him he was very cordial with me; conversed about the murder of Mr.
Lincoln and the utter collapse of the rebellion, as well as the great
loss in my family. I spoke to him about my business, and he at once
directed matters so that it would be attended to without delay. The
Secretary then said to me that it was through my