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policy of the Administration was, whenever the qualifications were equal, to give those who had been wounded or disabled in the service of the country the preference in the Civil department.

"He said it was an idea he would like to think of and asked me how soon I would wait upon him in the morning. I said any hour; and I went at 7 o'clock and found him in the hands of a barber.

Says he: "I have been thinking about your proposition, and I have a question to ask you; Did you ever know Colonel Smith, of Rockford, Ill?"

"I said I had an introduction to him when attending to the defense of of Governor Bebb.

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"You know," said he, "that he was killed at Vicksburg; that his head was carried off by a shell. postmaster and his wife wants the place," and he inquired if that would come up to my idea; and thereupon he and I concocted a letter-I have the correspondence in my possession to Postmaster General Blair, directing him to appoint the widow of Colonel Smith Postmistress, in the room of her deceased husband, who had fallen in battle, and stating that in consideration of what was due to the men who were fighting our battles, he had made up his mind that the families of those who had fallen and those disabled in the service, their qualifications being equal, should always have a preference in the Civil Service.

"I told him I was not personally acquainted with Mr. Blair, and he gave me a note of introduction to him with the letter. I told Blair that I proposed to take a copy of Mr. Lincoln's letter, which he had then made out by

the clerk. I took the letter to the Chronicle office in Washington, in which paper it was published, and the next morning I jumped into an ambulance and went to the convalescing camp, where there were about 7,000 convalescents, a great many of them Ohio men, and when I made my appearance they called on me for a speech. I got upon a terrace and made them a few remarks, and coming round to the old saw, 'that Republics are always ungrateful,' I told them I could not vouch for the Republic, but I thought I could vouch for the chief man at the head of the Administration, and he had already spoken on that subject, and when I read Lincoln's letter the boys flung their hats into the air and made the welkin ring for a long while.

"I hurried back to the city, and with a pair of shears cut out Lincoln's letter, and then attached some editorial remarks, and that letter went around, and I believe was published in every friendly newspaper in the United States.

"About that time Congress passed a resolution to the same effect, that those disabled in the military service of the country, wherever qualified, ought to have a preference over others. This may have been a small matter, but it made a marvelous impression on the army.

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A Church which God Wanted for the Union Soldiers.

Among the various applicants at the White House one day was a well-dressed lady, who came forward, without apparent embarrassmeni in her manner, and addressed

the President. Giving her a very close and scrutinizing look, he said:

"Well, madam, what can I do for you?"

She proceeded to tell him that she lived in Alexandria; that the church where she worshiped had been taken for a hospital.

"What church, madam?" Mr. Lincoln asked, in a quick, nervous manner.

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"The

church," she replied; "and as there are

only two or three wounded soldiers in it. I came to see if you would not let us have it, as we want it very much to worship God in."

"Madam, have you been to see the post surgeon at Alexandria about this matter?"

"Yes, sir; but we could do nothing with him."

"Well, we put him there to attend to just such business, and it is reasonable to suppose that he knows better what should be done under the circumstances than I do. See here; you say you live in Alexandria; probably you own property there. How much will you give to assist in building a hospital?"

"You know, Mr. Lincoln, our property is very much embarrassed by the war; so, really, I could hardly afford to give much for such a purpose.

"Well, madam, I expect we shall have another fight soon, and my candid opinion is, God wants that church for poor wounded Union soldiers, as much as he does for secesh people to worship in." Turning to his table, he said quite abruptly: "You will excuse me; I can do nothing for you. Good-day, madam."

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How Lincoln Relieved Rosecrans.

General James B. Steedman, familiarly known as "Old Chickamauga," relates the following:

Some weeks after the disastrous battle of Chickamauga, while yet Chattanooga was in a state of siege, General Steedman was surprised one day to receive a telegram from Abraham Lincoln to come to Washington. Seeking out Thomas, he laid the telegram before him, and was instructed to set out at once. Repairing to the White House, he was warmly received by Mr. Lincoln..

Mr. Lincoln's first question was abrupt and to the point:

“General Steedman, what is your opinion of General Rosecrans?"

"Mr.

General Steedman, hesitating a moment, said; President, I would rather not express my opinion of my superior officer."

Mr. Lincoln said: "It is the man who does not want to express an opinion whose opinion I want. I am besieged on all sides with advice. Every day I get letters from army officers asking me to allow them to come to Washington to impart some valuable knowledge in their possession.

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"Well, Mr. President," said Mr. Steedman, "you are the Commander-inChief of the Army, and if you order me to speak I will do so."

Mr. Lincoln said: "Then I will order an opinion.”
General Steedman then answered:

"Since you command me, Mr. President, I will say General Rosecrans is a splendid man to command a victorious army."

“But what kind of a man is he to command a defeated army?" said Mr. Lincoln.

General Steedman in reply said, cautiously: "I think there are two or three men in that army that would be better."

Then, with quaint humor, Mr. Lincoln propounded this question:

"Who, besides yourself, General Steedman, is there in that army who would make a better commander?" General Steedman promptly said;

"General George H. Thomas."

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