The Washington herald., 1921-07-10
INTIMATE PICTURES OF LINCOLN


it, to take cntrcnchcd army you ought TO have at
least twofold number" | replied. 81 venture to say
we have hvefold their number for they have
OF transportation and the country is sparsely settled
to Centervlle and they could get such
force the necessary supplies The country is rugged
and hiy and thiny settled and poor"
Well he dropped back into his usual reflection
and while we do not know the, conversation, very
shortly afterwards it announced through the press
that Mr. Lincoln had ordered Gen. Mcclellan to make
reconnaissance in force those hills Mcclellan
obeyed orders, moved far enough discover that the
supposed field guns which had been terrifying Wash
ing,on for many days merely large pieces of
timber sawed off and painted around the ends with
black lines to indicate muzzles of the guns. This l
remember, and it reported that he pushed his
reconnaissance far as Centcrvie in the immediate
vicinity OF the first Battle of Bull Run and discovered
the camp deserted and the indications were that there
never had been force there exceeding 10000 men.
NAC CLELLAN reported the result of the rec
NV onnaissance Ito Secretary of War Stanton
and to the President and after
wards ordered to move upon the enemy in force
One bright morning soon after the order given,
l standing the porch Of the Capitol when
the grand army moving across the Long Bridge
at Washington. toward the hills of Virginia. March
ing up the heights of Arlington with their field bat
teries and their cavalry and the infantry and
tney maTCncQ Dack again ana naQ anotner QreSS pa
radc. All quiet on the Potomac
l have been frequently questioned to the per-.
sonal relations between Secretary Chase and the
President and l knew that there some friction
between them l had occasion call on
Mr.. Lincoln when he addressed me, saying "Mr.
Bingham, do you know the handwriting of Mr..
Chase?" and l said, II think / do. / have core
sponded with him and know his handwriting per
fectly we'll" Mr. Lincoln handed a circular and
/ read it, urging the nomination of Mr.. Chase for
President. He then said you can read the morn.
ing papers wherein Mr. Chase declines any partici-
patton in the movement to make him President and
expresses his thanks to his friends WHO had fit
to urge him as the nominee" Then he handed me
an official and said, Look at that. Do you
think that is Mr. Chase's handwrtng2 and said
,"Of it is" .. t ~ a~ea
The addressed to the President and to
the effect: ....... 4. ..- t..assh ss.
"If you still decline to make the appointment
ask for you will please consider this letter tender
OF my resignation of the office Of the Secretary OF
the Treasury. signed Solomon p Chase" Then Mr.
Lincoln said Turn that as / thought the best
place for an answer to that on the back of it,
turned the letter over and read as follows:
Hon Solomon P. Chase, ,.a....ag 81 4 W, Al
Secretary of the Treasury.
Dear Sir: ..' -. ~. .r.,<.- 'tt z
"Your letter of current date was received In
which you tender your resignation Secretary Of the
Treasury of the United States. ! have to inform you
that your resignation is accepted You will turn over
the Treasury Department and all Its contents to the
first assistant Secretary tomorrow morning. Signed.
A. Lincoln" ... a7.r#aI
IN the following morning Mr. Chase stepped
I ! down and out but when the vacancy on the
~ Supreme Court bench occurred. Mr., Lincoln.
man who always kept his Npromise, appointed Solos
mon P. Chase his Chief Justice the Supreme Court
bench of the United States merely relate this fact
to show the greatness of the character of Abraham
Lincoln, and that he would not let such conduct as