The Colorado statesman., 1912-02-10

heard, in such way as to believe
it, of your saying that both the coun-
try and the army needed dictator.
OF course 1t was not for this. but in
spite of 1t, that / have given you the
command. Only those generals who
gain success can set themselves up as
dictators. What / ask of you is mill
tary success. and will risk the dicta-
torship. The government will support
you to the utmost Of its ability. which
is neither more nor less than 1t has
done and will do for all its command
ers.
Il 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. and shall assist
you as far as l can to put 1t 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.
Yours very truly,
"A. LINCOLN"
The disastrous defeat of Chancel-
lorsville was due to Hooker's failure
to use all his men, an error of judg-
ment against which Lincoln had warn
ed him.
When Hooker wanted to attack the
Confederate rear at Fredericksburg.
Lincoln dissuaded him in graphic
simile: In one word. would not take
any risk of being entangled upon the
river, like an OK jumped half over
fence and liable to be torn by dogs
front and rear without fair chance
to gore one way or kick the other"
And he likewise vetoed the plan of ad-
vancing on Richmond at this juno
ture, reminding Hooker that Lees
army and not Richmond, is your true
objective point. Fight him, too'
when opportunity offers. If he stays
where he is, fret him and fret him"
Lincoln, by a kind of intuition. di-
vined the right thing to do. He had
no real military experience. When he
was made captain of the Sangamon
county company in the Black Hawk
war, he did not know how to get his
men (marching 20 abreast) through
| gate. and he shouted: This company
is dismissed for two minutes, when 1t
will fall in again on the other side OF
| the gate"
When member of the house of
representatives, Mr.. Lincoln thus de-
scribed his military career in depre-
eating the efforts of General Cass's
friends to make 1t appear that the
latter was a great military hero. by
the way. Mr.. Speaker, do you know l
am a military hero? Yes, sir, in the
days of the Black Hawk war l fought.
bled and came away. Speaking OF
General Cass's career reminds me OF
nv own, l was not at Stillman's de-
feat, but / was about as near to 1t as
Cass to Hulps surrender: and. like
him, l saw the place very soon after
ward. 1t is quite certain l did not
break. but 1 bent my musket pretty
break, but / bent by musket pretty
badly on one occasion. ii
General Cass went in advance OF me
picking whortleberries, | guess l sur
passed him in charging upon the wild
onion. If he saw any live. fighting
Indians, it was more than l did, but
had good many bloody struggles
with the mosquitoes. and, although
never tainted from loss of blood. |
can truly say that I was often very
hungry
Despite this slight experience.
which he thus humorously burlesqued.
of wars alarms, Lincoln had the solu-
tions of master strategist for prob
lens which confounded the West
Point men and the students of mill
| tary science.