of inaction of the Army of the Potomac, the President remarked to a corps-commander and another gentleman with whom he was discussing military matters:

"If something is not done pretty soon, the bottom will fall out of the whole affair, and if General McClellan doesn't want to use the army, I'd like to borrow it of him— provided I could see how it could be made to do something."

While General Grant's ability as a commander was yet in doubt, a storm of criticisms assailed him. At one time during the siege of Vicksburg, a delegation of his critics waited upon the President and vigorously demanded the substitution of some other general.

"Well, well," responded Mr. Lincoln, "but why should Grant be removed?"

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Why? Why, he drinks too much whiskey."

That particular accusation had been withheld until that moment, but now the President's face put on its most caustic expression as he responded: "Ah! that's it! By the way, gentlemen, can either of you tell me where General Grant gets his whiskey? I think I'd better send a barrel of that whiskey to every general in the field."

Mr. Lincoln had several reasons for not admiring ex-President Tyler and a mention of him on one occasion brought out an anecdote.

"A year or two after Tyler's accession to the Presidency," said Mr. Lincoln, "contemplating an excursion in some direction, his son went to order a special train of cars. It so happened that the railroad superintendent was a very strong

Whig. On 'Bob's' making known his errand, that official promptly informed him that his road did not run special trains for the President. "What,' said Bob, did you not furnish a special train for the funeral of General Harrison?'

"Yes,' said the superintendent, stroking his whiskers; and if you will only bring your father here in that shape, you shall have the best train on the road.'

Concerning the probable political strength of one of the presidential candidates, in 1864, Mr. Lincoln. gravely read to a friend the account in 1 Samuel, of David's forces at the Cave of Adulam :

"And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him, and he became a captain