had been a large railway contractor and a great admirer of Stanton. He handed back the letter with a draft for five thousand dollars payable to Stanton's order. The aid, supposed by Stanton to be a loan, was thus acknowledged:

My dear Friend:

Washington, D. C., January 29, 1869.

Your note enclosing Mr. Witt's draft for $5,000 received here while I was at Wheeling trying a land case. My health had very much improved. I was as strong and vigorous as at any time within two years. The case involved lands and mines to the extent of two millions and I never made an argument with more ease and effect and success. But a journey across the mountains has for years been followed by sickness and special circumstances contributed this time so that I have been without voice from sore throat and without breath from spasms of asthma that prevented me from acknowledging Mr. Witt's letter. It is enclosed with a note for his advance and I will trouble you to give them to him or send them by mail as soon as possible.

The family is as well as usual. I am glad to hear from Mrs. Watson and the children.

In Mr. Witt's letter you will find the political news. Seward will not get into the cabinet but some think it will be very Sewardish. I suppose you have seen Bank's little romance. It is got up by a joint stock company in the apprehension of my going into the cabinet, although I would rather burn my arm off to the socket. Whether Grant has any stock in it for the purpose of excusing him from the compliment of an offer to me, opinions vary.

I care nothing about it, and, having repelled the imputation of ever having thought Banks fit for a military command by a public denial, I shall leave the matter where it is. The whole story is simply this, as you may remember: While Grant was besieging Vicksburg, Banks, with a large force, was fiddling away at Port Hudson. There was no confidence in his capacity or success. Mr. Lincoln, Halleck, and Grant believed that if Vicksburg were taken, Port Hudson would fall, and Grant wanted Banks' troops. They were ordered to him but did not go, for Banks held on to them. Now Banks says he was senior to Grant and would have had the command if he had gone to Vicksburg, and the order to go there with his troops is what he calls superseding Grant; but the law* expressly authorized the President to give the command to a junior-it was often done—and Mr. Lincoln meant to do it as soon as Banks got to Vicksburg, but thought it best to wait until the troops got there. Banks no doubt suspected that, and did not budge from Port Hudson, which fell as soon as Vicksburg was taken.

P. H. Watson, Esq.

Yours truly,

Edwin M. Stanton.

*See act approved April 4, 1862, giving the President power, when two or more officers of like grade were operating in the same field, to designate the commander, regardless of rank.

Howard P. Eells of Cleveland, who administered the Witt estate, says Stanton's note and grateful letter of acknowledgment were destroyed and that Mr. Witt's gift was intended to remain an unrecorded secret-a real tribute of gratitude and friendship.

The "land case" involving two million dollars, mentioned in the above letter, covered a tract of ten thousand, three hundred and seventy-five acres of timber underlaid with cannel coal in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Stanton appeared for R. M. T. Hunter and others, who were plaintiffs in a very complicated case. He mentions that he "never made an argument with more ease and effect and success"—a remarkable statement, in view of his shattered and feeble condition. Judge Thayer Melvin of Wheeling says:

When Mr. Stanton appeared to argue the Kanawha case, I was pained and disappointed. I had conceived him to be an immense, burly, rough, and resistless man, full of health and power and ready for any contest or emergency. Instead of my ideal, there came in, walking slowly and wearily, a feeble and exhausted invalid, whose death-like pallor shocked all beholders. His argument was delivered in low conversational style, but with wonderful clearness, directness, and completeness. I think that was his last trip over the mountains, and some believed then that he would not live to get out of the city. All who saw him were sad. Certainly death seemed near.

"I had tea with Mr. Stanton and his son Eddie at the McLure House in Wheeling at the close of the Kanawha argument," says William Stanton Buchanan, then residing in Wheeling. “I told him that he was failing very fast. He did not seem surprised or frightened, but simply answered: 'Do you think so, William?' I did, indeed, think so, for he was a wreck. I hardly see how he withstood the journey home."

The ensuing exhaustion was so severe and long-continued that for some time he shared the fear of his friends that perhaps his condition was really serious. While entertaining this feeling he resolved to be prepared for the worst, and sent for Dr. William Sparrow of Alexandria, Virginia, to baptize him. He also requested General E. D. Townsend to come and discuss the personnel of the executors of his will as well as the most available manner of disposing of his property, and a place of burial.

After this he rallied considerably, and on June 11, 1869, wrote to Mr. Watson a "family letter" of some length in which occurs this paragraph:

Since you were here the state of my health has greatly fluctuated-being sometimes worse and seldom better until recently. A decided improvement has now taken place. Although my strength is not fully regained, my appetite and sleep have much improved, and, with the advancing season, I am growing stronger and hope now for a full recovery.

Mrs. Stanton and Dr. Barnes are striving to get me away from Washington during the hot weather, but I am resisting and would much prefer to stay at home. I do not know how the contest will end.

Immediately following the date of this letter a serious decline set in and the "contest" referred to ended on July 19, by advice of Dr. Barnes, in drafting his will. On July 25, Dr. Barnes ordered him to depart for the Rocky Mountains. The journey seemed too formidable and too costly, so he compromised by leaving on August 4 for Mount Wachusett, Massachusetts.

Receiving there no apparent benefit, he proceeded to Wolfboro, New Hampshire, whence a New York correspondent wrote that he "seemed like a wreck, and did little more than sit on the piazza and watch the children at play, in strange and pitiful contrast to the surrounding vivacity."

About the middle of September he went by invitation to Pine Bluff, the breezy seaside home of his friend Samuel Hooper, at Cotuit on the coast of Cape Cod. There he revived from a relapse which would have terminated fatally had he remained in Washing

ton.

"This is a sweet oasis," he wrote to James M. Ashley of Toledo; "my life has been prolonged by its pure air and fresh surroundings. I thank God for the kindness of my friends." His finances were so straitened that without an invitation like that from Mr. Hooper, or a cash advance from one like Mr. Witt, he would have been unable to leave Washington for any considerable time; hence the fervent expression of gratitude for the "kindness of his friends."

Returning in the early autumn, he was more cheerful but really weaker and more broken down than before. While thus helpless physically and financially, he wrote the following sad communication, the very last of any length penned by his own hand:

My dear Friend:

Washington, November 25, 1869.

Contrary to my hope when I last saw you, my health was not restored so that I could engage in business for a livelihood. My strength rapidly declined in the summer, and with reluctance I was compelled to leave home.

Some months on the mountains and seashore of New England, with absolute rest, effected some improvement, and I am now better than for the last twelve months, and am steadily but slowly improving.

My medical advisers, everywhere, enjoin abstinence from any employment taxing my physical strength, so that I have been forced to decline numerous professional engagements that, had I been strong enough, would have provided for my necessities.

I am entirely out of money. Traveling, educating, and providing for my children, and other necessary expenditures, have quite exhausted my last winter's supply furnished by Mr. Witt's kindness, so that I am compelled to apply to you for aid. I know you will be glad to aid me if in your power. I have valuable property here and in Ohio, and on the Monongahela, not encumbered, but unproductive. I have not been able to give my attention towards disposing of it, and my protracted and serious illness has cut off my professional supplies.*

Please let me know whether you can help me or not. Five thousand dollars would carry me through another year; even less would drive the wolf from the door.

With kindest regards to you and Mrs. Watson and the children, I remain, Ever yours,

P. H. Watson, Esq.

Edwin M. Stanton.

On December 12, after arguing the famous case of Whitney vs. Mowry before Justice Swayne, who came to Stanton's residence to sit in chambers, he suffered a severe relapse. During this illness, James M. Ashley of Ohio telegraphed to General T. M. Vincent an expression of solicitude and asked for information concerning Stanton's health. As the message was one of unusual cordiality, General Vincent handed it to Stanton at his house. He exclaimed: "That's from my good friend Ashley; I myself will answer it."

He called for pen and paper but was unable to write a sentence -hardly a word, in fact. Dropping the pen and turning to General Vincent, he observed, with trembling voice and tearful eyes: "I can't do it; I am used up."

In the meantime Justice R. C. Grier had informed Stanton that he intended to retire under the act of April, 1869, and intimated that

*Says Charles A. Dana: "Less than a month before his death he received a large retainer from Pennsylvania. In reply he asked for time, saying he was not ready to appear in court in so important a suit. He was informed that delay was impossible, to go ahead at once. Distressed as he was for money, he returned the retainer, as he was too conscientious to accept a fee which he thought he could not fully earn."