Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-08-24

administration of the newspaper press,
believing it to be, as he asserted, the
true voice of the people. The failures
of Mcdowell, Mcclellan, Burnside and
Pope with the Army of the Potomac
and the criticisms made thereon by the
newspapers almost craZed him. Time
and again he would free himself from
the executive mansion and seek my
little office; the only place in Washing
ton, he often said, where he could be
absolutely free from interruption.
When he became closeted with me on
these visits Mr.. Lincoln would unbosom
himself and talk of his cares and woes.
Several times he insisted that he ought
to resign, and thus give the country
an opportunity to secure some one bet
ter fitted to accomplish the great task
expected of the president. Or, if he
did not resign, he thought he ought to
impress upon congress the propriety
of giving the absolute control of the
army to some purely military man.
1t was during one of these moods that
he conceived the idea of placing Hooker
in command of the Army Of the Poto-
mac and of vesting him with such pow
er that, in his opinion, he could not fail
of success. He had great idea of
Hooker's ability as a soldier, and in
addition he believed him to be an honest
man and a sincere patriot. He wanted
him to fight what he intended should
be, and he felt would be, the closing
battle of the war. Accordingly, when
Hooker got under way and the news
came that at Charlottesville he would
make his fight, Mr.. Lincoln was in the
greatest state of mental excitement.
From the time that Hooker's army be-
gan until the smoke of battle had
cleared from the fatal field of Chancel-
louisville, he scarcely knew what it was
to sleep.
1t will be remembered that the
fight lasted three days. During the
first two days it looked as if Hooker
was about to accomplish what so many
generals before him had failed to do;
but, early on the third day, the usual
half hour dispatches began to make
matters look dark and ominous of de-
feat. That whole day Mr.. Lincoln was
miserable. He ate nothing and would
see no one but me. As it grew dark the
dispatches ceased coming at all Mr.
Lincoln would walk from the white
house to my department and anxiously
inquire for news from Hooker. With
the going down of the sun a cold and
drenching rain set in, which lasted
through the night. AT about seven
o'clock Mr.. Lincoln ceased his visits 30
my department, and gave orders at the
executive mansion that he would see
no one before morning. An hour after
ward dispatch of indefinite character
was received from Hooker, and 1 hur-
ried with it to Mr.. Lincoln's apart
ments. When I entered I found him
walking the floor, and his agonized APP
pearance so frightened me that it was
with difficulty that L could speak. Mr..
Lincoln approached me like man wild
with anxiety and excitement, seized
the dispatch from my hand, read it, and,
his face slightly Frightening, remarked:
stanton, there is hope YETI At my
solicitation Mr.. Lincoln accompanied
me to the war department, where he
agreed to spend the night, or until
something definite was heard from
Hooker. For five hours, the longest
and most wearisome of my life, I wait
ed before a dispatch announcing the