d been erected in front
of the White House for the new President, his Cabinet, Officers of
State, Foreign Ministers and others. I had a seat on this grandstand,
from which on May 24th we watched one of the most imposing parades
recorded in history. Among the many heroes, I recall the passing of
stately General William Tecumseh Sherman on his majestic horse, which
had been garlanded with roses. After we had been sitting there for
several hours a foreign official tapped me on the shoulder and said:
"What will become of these thousands of soldiers after their
discharge?" I answered: "They will return to their homes all over the
country and soon be at work doing their utmost to pay off the national
debt." He replied: "Is it possible! No other country could expect such
a result."

All had lost comrades, many were to return to desolate and broken
homes. Amidst all the grandeur of victory there was profound sorrow.
Among the thousands of passing veterans, there were many who looked
for their former Commander-in-Chief, but their "Father Abraham" had
answered to his last bugle call and with more than 300,000 comrades
had been mustered out.

[Illustration]

End of Project Gutenberg's Lincoln's Last Hours, by Charles A. Leale

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