About this time, there was founded the Union League Club, with Boker as the leading spirit; through his efforts the war earnestness of the city was concentrated here; from 1863-71 he served as its secretary; from 1879-84 as its President; and his official attitude may be measured in the various annual reports of the organization.  But even in those strenuous days—­at the period when the Northern spirits lagged over military reverses, and at the time when the indecision of General McClellan drew from him the satiric broadside,—­“Tardy George”—­privately printed in 1865—­Boker’s thoughts were concerned with poetry.  His official laureate consciousness did not serve to improve the verse.  His “Our Heroic Themes”—­written for the Harvard Phi Beta Kappa—­was mediocre in everything but intent, recalling what Taylor wrote to him:  “My Harvard poem, [he had read it in 1850 before the same fraternity] poor as it is, was received with great applause; but, alas!  I published it, and thus killed the tradition of its excellence, which, had I not done so, might still have been floating around Harvard.”

In 1869, Boker issued “Koenigsmark, The Legend of the Hounds and other Poems,” and this ended his dramatic career until his return from abroad, and until Lawrence Barrett came upon the scene with his revival of “Francesca da Rimini” and his interest in Boker’s other work, to the extent of encouraging him to recast “Calaynos” and to prepare “Nydia” (1885), later enlarged from two acts to a full sized drama in “Glaucus” (1886), both drawing for inspiration on Bulwer’s “The Last Days of Pompeii.”

President Grant sent Boker to Constantinople, as U.S.  Minister (his appointment dated November 3, 1871)—­an honour undoubtedly bestowed in recognition of his national service.  Here he remained four years, “and during that time secured the redress for wrongs done American subjects by the Syrians, and successfully negotiated two treaties, one having reference to the extradition of criminals, and the other to the naturalization of subjects of little power in the dominions of the other.”  A reception was tendered him on December 22, 1871, by members of the Union League Club, and among those present were Bayard Taylor, Col.  George Boker, of the Governor’s staff, and son of Boker, and Dr. Charles S. Boker, his brother.  Among those who spoke were Robeson, Secretary of the Navy, and Cameron, U.S.  Senator from Pennsylvania.  Congratulatory letters were received from Bryant, James T. Fields, Stoddard, Lowell, Longfellow, Aldrich, Curtis, and Stedman.  On this occasion, Taylor said:  “I know the ripeness and soundness of his mind, the fine balance of his intellectual qualities.”

On December 24, 1871, Boker wrote to Leland: