ellorsville--causes
which devoured about twenty thousand men, if not more.

_May 16._--Strange stories, and incredible, if any thing now-a-days
is incredible. Mr. Lincoln, inspired by Hitchcock and Owen, turns
spiritualist and rapper. Poor spirits, to be obliged to answer such
calls!

_May 17._--A high-minded, devoted, ardent patriot, a general of the
army, had a long conversation with the President, who was sad, and
very earnest. The patriot observed that Mr. Lincoln wanted only
encouragement to take himself the command of the Army of the
Potomac. As it stands now, this would be even better than any other
choice. I am sure that once with the army, separated from Seward &
Co., Mr. Lincoln will show great courage. If only Mr. Lincoln could
then give the _walking papers_ to General Halleck!

On the authority of the above conversation, I respectfully wrote to
the President, and urged him to take the army's command, but to
create a genuine staff for the army around his person.

I submitted to the President that the question relating to a staff
for the Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy [the President] and
for the commander-in-chief of the Army, Major-General Halleck, has
been often discussed by some New York, Boston and Washington
dailies, and the wonted amount of confusion is thereby thrown
broadcast among the public. The names of several generals have been
mentioned by the press as a staff of the President. I doubt if any
of them are properly qualified for such an important position. They
are rather fitted for a military council _ad latus_ to the
President. Such a council exists in Russia near the person of the
emperor; but it has nothing in common with a staff, with staff
duties, or with the intellectual qualification for such duties. The
project of such a council here was many months ago submitted to the
Secretary of War. A Commander-in-chief, as mentioned above--one
fighting and manoeuvring on paper--making plans in his office,
unfamiliar with every thing constituting a genuine military,
scientific or practical soldier--to whom field and battle are
uncongenial or improper--to whom grand and even small tactics are a
_terra incognita_--such a chief is at best but an imitation of the
English military organization, and certainly it is only in this
country that obsolete English routine is almost uniformly imitated.
Such a Commander-in-chief might have been of some small usefulness
when our Army was but thirteen t