acity of the
General-in-Chief, and had hoped that he [the President], who had
better and more correct views, would issue peremptory orders. The
President immediately softened his tone, and said, 'Halleck knows
better than I what to do. He is a military man, has had a military
education. I brought him here to give me military advice. His views
and mine are widely different. It is better that I, who am not a
military man, should defer to him, rather than he to me.' This,"
continues Mr. Welles, "is the President's error. His own
convictions and conclusions are infinitely superior to Halleck's;
even in military operations, more sensible and more correct
always.... Halleck has no activity; never exhibits sagacity or
foresight." And in another place in the same Diary we are given
this singular picture by a Cabinet minister of the man who was at
that moment the General-in-Chief of the Union armies and the
military adviser of the President: "Halleck sits and smokes, and
swears, and scratches his arm, but exhibits little military
capacity or intelligence; is obfuscated, muddy, uncertain, stupid
as to what is doing or to be done."

INDEX

_[The abbreviation "L.," as used in this index, refers in every case to
the subject of this biography_.]

Abolitionists,
Bloomington convention, 165-169;
crusade against slavery, 244-245;
"Boston set" visits L., 482-484

Adams, Charles Francis, 343

Adams, John Quincy, 100, 549

Agassiz, Louis, visits L., 475-476

Alabama, secedes, 261

Allen, Robert, L's letter to, 59

Ames, Dr., 232

Ames, Oakes, 482

Anderson, Robert,
meetings with L., 39-40;
holds Fort Sumter, 262

Andrew, John A.,
mentioned, 234, 342, 466;
impression of L., 235

Anecdotes of L.,
Aaron's commission from the Lord, 477;
Abolitionist call for a convention, 165-166;
About his wealth, 216;
Actor who wanted consulship, 470;
Anderson and L's good memory, 39-40;
Anxiety during summer of 1864, 542-546;
Artemus Ward, reading of, 332-333;
Attorney for the people, 459;
Authenticity of, 32;
Baker rescued from opponents, 91;
"Biggest shuck and smallest nubbin," 556;
Birds restored to nest, 76;
Black Hawk War, 37, 38, 40;
Bob Lewis and the Mormon lands, 334-335;
Booth's acting, 469;
Bores, getting rid of, 460;
Breach of promise suit, 81-82;
Bread and butter dinner, 255;
Bullet-hole through L's hat, 541-542;
Burnside's brigadiers, promoted, 385;