I asked Hewitt whether he had seen Lincoln after this matter of the mortar-beds.  “Yes,” said Hewitt, “I saw him a year later and Lincoln’s action was characteristic.  I was in Washington and thought it was proper to call and pay my respects.  I was told on reaching the White House that it was late in the day and that the waiting-room was very full and that I probably should not be reached.  ‘Well,’ I said, ’in that case, I will simply ask you to take in my card.’  No sooner had the card been delivered than the door of the study opened and Lincoln appeared reaching out both hands.  ‘Where is Mr. Hewitt?’ he said; ’I want to see, I want to thank, the man who does things.’  I sat with him for a time, a little nervous in connection with the number of people who were waiting outside, but Lincoln would not let me go.  Finally he asked, ’What are you in Washington for?’ ‘Well, Mr. Lincoln,’ said I, ’I have some business here.  I want to get paid for those mortar-beds.’  ‘What?’ said Lincoln, ’you have not yet got what the nation owes you?  That is disgraceful.’  He rang the bell violently and sent an aid for Secretary Stanton and when the Secretary appeared, he was questioned rather sharply.  ’How about Mr. Hewitt’s bill against the War Department?  Why does he have to wait for his money?’ ‘Well, Mr. Lincoln,’ said Stanton, ’the order for those mortar-beds was given rather irregularly.  It never passed through the War Department and consequently the account when rendered could not receive the approval of any ordnance officer, and until so approved could not be paid by the Treasury.’  ‘If,’ said Lincoln, ’I should write on that account an order to have it paid, do you suppose the Secretary of the Treasury would pay it?’ ’I suppose that he would,’ said Stanton.  The account was sent for and Lincoln wrote at the bottom:  ‘Pay this bill now.  A. Lincoln.’  ‘Now, Mr. Stanton,’ said Lincoln, ’Mr. Hewitt has been very badly treated in this matter and I want you to take a little pains to see that he gets his money.  I am going to ask you to go over to the Treasury with Mr. Hewitt and to get the proper signatures on this account so that Mr. Hewitt can carry a draft with him back to New York.’  Stanton, rather reluctantly, accepted the instruction and,” said Hewitt, “he walked with me through the various departments of the Treasury until the final signature had been placed on the bill and I was able to exchange this for a Treasury warrant.  I should,” said Hewitt, “have been much pleased to retain the bill with that signature of Lincoln beneath the words, ‘Pay this now.’

“Towards the end of the War,” he continued, “when there was no further requirement for mortars, I wrote to Mr. Lincoln and asked whether I might buy a mortar with its bed.  Lincoln replied promptly that he had directed the Ordnance Department to send me mortar and bed with ’the compliments of the administration.’  I am puzzled to think,” said Hewitt, “how that particular item in the accounts of the Ordnance Department was ever adjusted, but I am very glad to have this reminiscence of the War and of the President.”