ters. The army received his constant
detailed attention. In his letters to Grant, he besought him to be
unwavering in a relentless persistency.

As Hay records, he was aging rapidly. The immense strain of his labor
was beginning to tell both in his features and his expression. He was
moving in a shadow. But his old habit of merriment had not left him;
though it was now, more often, a surface merriment. On the night of the
October elections, Lincoln sat in the telegraph room of the War
Office while the reports were coming in. "The President in a lull of
despatches, took from his pocket the Naseby Papers and read several
chapters of the Saint and Martyr, Petroleum V. They were immensely
amusing. Stanton and Dana enjoyed them scarcely less than the President,
who read on, con amore, until nine o'clock."(10)

The presidential election was held on the eighth of November. That
night, Lincoln with his Secretary was again in the War Office. The
early returns showed that the whole North was turning to him in enormous
majorities. He showed no exultation. When the Assistant Secretary of
the Navy spoke sharply of the complete effacement politically of Henry
Winter Davis against whom he had a grudge, Lincoln said, "You have more
of that feeling of personal resentment than I. Perhaps I have too little
of it; but I never thought it paid. A man has no time to spend half his
life in quarrels. If any man ceases to attack me I never remember the
past against him."(11)

"Towards midnight," says Hay in his diary, "we had supper. The President
went awkwardly and hospitably to work shovelling out the fried oysters.
He was most agreeable and genial all the evening. . . . Captain Thomas
came up with a band about half-past two and made some music. The
President answered from a window with rather unusual dignity and effect,
and we came home."(12)

"I am thankful to God," Lincoln said, in response to the serenade, "for
this approval of the people; but while grateful for this mark of their
confidence in me, if I know my heart, my gratitude is free from any
taint of personal triumph. I do not impugn the motives of any one
opposed to me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph over any one, but I
give thanks to the Almighty for this evidence of the people's resolution
to stand by free government and the rights of humanity."(13)

During the next few days a torrent of congratulations came pouring
in. What most impressed the secretaries was his complete