skillful soldier--which of course
I like. I also believe you do not mix politics with your
profession--in which you are right. You have confidence in
yourself--which is a valuable if not indispensable quality. You are
ambitious--which within reasonable bounds does good rather than
harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of the
army you have taken counsel of your ambition and thwarted him as
much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country,
and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer.

"I have heard in such a way as to believe of you recently saying
that both the army and the Government needed a dictator. Of course
it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I gave you the
command. Only those generals who gain successes can set up as
dictators.

"What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the
dictatorship.

"The Government will support you to the utmost of its
ability--which is neither more nor less than it has done and will
do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit which you have
aided to infuse into the army of criticising their commander and
withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I shall
assist you as far as I can to put it down. Neither you nor
Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army
while such a spirit prevails in it.

"And now beware of rashness--but with energy and sleepless
vigilance go forward and give us victories."

While Hooker lay in winter quarters reorganizing his army his picket
lines in speaking distance with those of his opponent across the river,
the President bent his strong shoulders to the task of cheering the
fainting spirits of the people. On his shaggy head was heaped the blame
of all the sorrows, the failures and the agony of the ever deepening
tragedy of war. Deeper and deeper into his rugged kindly face were cut
the lines of life and death, and darker grew the shadows through which
his sensitive lonely soul was called to walk.

And yet, through it all, there glowed with stronger radiance the charm
of his quaint genius and his magnetic personality--tragic, homely,
gentle, humorous, honest, merciful, wise, laughable and lovable.

He found time to run down to Hampton Roads with Gideon Welles, his loyal
Secretary of the Navy, to inspect the ships asse