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did not want to use the army, he would like to borrow it, provided he could see how it could be made to do something.

Lincoln's Politeness.

I was always touched, says Mr. Carpenter, by the President's manner of receiving a salute of the guard at the White House.

Whenever he appeared in the portico, on his way to or from the War or Treasury Departments, or on any excursion down the avenue, the first glimpse of him was, of course, the signal for the sentinel on duty to present arms" and "call out the guard."

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This was always acknowledged by Mr. Lincoln with a peculiar bow and touch of the hat, no matter how many times it might occur in the course of a day; and it always seemed to me as much of a compliment to the devotion of the soldiers, on his part, as it was the sign of duty and deference on the part of the guard.

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His Visits to the Hospitals.

On the Monday before the assassination, when the President was on his way from Richmond, he stopped at City Point. Calling upon the head surgeon at that place, Mr. Lincoln told him that he wished to visit all the hospitals under his charge and shake hands with every soldier.

The surgeon asked if he knew what he was undertaking, there being five or six thousand soldiers at that place, and it would be quite a tax upon his strength to

visit all the wards and shake hands with every soldier. Mr. Lincoln answered with a smile:

"He guessed he was equal to the task; at any rate he would try, and go as far as he could; he should never, probably, see the boys again, and he wanted them to know that he appreciated what they had done for their country."

Finding it useless to try to dissuade him, the surgeon began his rounds with the President, who walked from bed to bed, extending his hand to all, saying a few words of sympathy to some, making kind inquiries of others, and welcomed by all with the heartiest cordiality.

As they passed along they came to a ward in which lay a rebel who had been wounded and was a prisoner. As the tall figure of the kindly visitor appeared in sight, he was recognized by the rebel soldier, who, raising himself on his elbow in bed, watched Mr. Lincoln as he approached and extending his hand exclaimed, while tears. ran down his cheeks:

"Mr. Lincoln, I have long wanted to see you, to ask your forgiveness for ever raising my hand against the old flag."

Mr. Lincoln was moved to tears. He heartily shook the hand of the repentant rebel and assured him of his good will, and with a few words of kind advice passed

on.

After some hours the tour of the various hospitals was made, and Mr. Lincoln returned with the surgeon to his office. They had scarcely entered, however, when a messenger came saying that one ward had been omitted, and.

"the boys" wanted to see the President.

The surgeon,

who was thoroughly tired, and knew Mr. Lincoln must be, tried to dissuade him from going; but the good man said he must go back; he would knowingly omit no one, "the boys" would be so disappointed. So he went with the messenger, accompanied by the surgeon, and shook. hands with the gratified soldiers, and then returned again to the office.

The surgeon expressed the fear that the President's arm would be lamed with so much hand-shaking, saying it certainly must ache.

Mr. Lincoln smiled, and saying something about his "strong muscles," stepped out at the open door, took up a very large, heavy axe which lay there by a log of wood, and chopped vigorously for a few moments, sending the chips flying in all directions; and then, pausing, he extended his right arm to its full length, holding the axe out horizontally, without its even quivering as he held

it.

Stong men who looked on-men accustomed to manual labor-could not hold the same axe in that position for a moment. Returning to the office he took a glass of lemonade, for he would take no stronger beverage; and while he was within the chips he had chopped were gathered up and safely cared for by a hospital steward because they were "the chips that Father Abraham chopped."

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Mr. Lincoln and a Clergyman.

At the semi-annual meeting of the New Jersey Historical Society, held in Newark, N. J., Rev. Dr. Sheldon, at Princeton, read a memorial of their late President, Rev. R. K. Rodgers, D. D., in which appears the following interesting incident concerning Mr. Lincoln and the

war:

One day during the war Dr. Rodgers was called on by a man in his congregation, who, in the greatest distress, told him that his son, a soldier in the army, had just been sentenced to be shot for desertion, and begged the minister's interposition.

The Doctor went to Washington with the wife and infant child of the condemned man, and sent his card up to Mr. Lincoln. When admitted, the President said:

"You are a minister, I believe. What can I do for you, my friend?"

The reply was:

"A young man from my congregation in the army has so far forgotten his duty to his country and his God as to desert his colors, and is sentenced to die. I have come to ask you to spare him."

With characteristic quaintness the President replied: "Then you don't want him hurt, do you?"

"Oh, no," said the petitioner, "I did not mean that; he deserves punishment, but I beg for him time to prepare to meet his God."

"Do you say he has father, wife and child?" said Mr. Lincoln.

"Yes."

"Where do you say he is?"

On being told, he turned to his secretary, said a few words in an undertone, of which that official made note, and added to Dr. Rodgers:

"You have your request. Tell his friends I have reprieved him."

With a "God bless you, Mr. President," Dr. Rodgers turned away to bear the glad news to the distressed family.

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A Remarkable Letter.

The following remarkable letter from Lincoln to General Hooker was written after the latter had taken command of the Potomac, in January, 1863, and while the President yet retained it in his possession an intimate friend chanced to be in his Cabinet one night, and the President read it to him, remarking:

"I shall not read this to anybody else, but I want to know how it strikes you."

During the following April or May, while the Army of the Potomac lay opposite Fredericksburg, this friend accompanied the President to General Hooker's headquarters on a visit. One night General Hooker, alone with this gentleman in his tent, said:

"The President says that he showed you this letter," and he then took out that document, which was closely written on a sheet of letter-paper. The tears stood in

the General's bright blue eyes as he added:

"It is such a letter as a father might have written to

his son, and yet it hurt me."

And then, dashing the water from his eyes, he said:

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