hero of the story put to his lips a crockery mug which he had carried, with infinite care, through several campaigns.  A stray bullet, just missing the coffee-drinker’s head, dashed the mug into fragments and left only its handle on his finger.  Turning his head in that direction, the soldier angrily growled, “Johnny, you can’t do that again!” Lincoln, relating these two stories together, said, “It seems as if neither death nor danger could quench the grim humor of the American soldier.”

A juvenile “brigadier” from New York, with a small detachment of cavalry, having imprudently gone within the rebel lines near Fairfax Court House, was captured by “guerillas.”  Upon the fact being reported to Lincoln, he said that he was very sorry to lose the horses.  “What do you mean?” inquired his informant.  “Why,” rejoined the President, “I can make a ‘brigadier’ any day; but those horses cost the government a hundred and twenty-five dollars a head!”

Lincoln was especially fond of a joke at the expense of some high military or civil dignitary.  He was intensely amused by a story told by Secretary Stanton, of a trip made by him and General Foster up the Broad river in North Carolina, in a tug-boat, when, reaching our outposts on the river bank, a Federal picket yelled out, “Who have you got on board that tug?” The severe and dignified answer was, “The Secretary of War and Major-General Foster.”  Instantly the picket roared back:  “We’ve got Major-Generals enough up here—­why don’t you bring us up some hardtack?”

On one occasion, when the enemy were threatening the defenses of Washington, the President made a personal visit to the men in the trenches, for the purpose, as he stated, of “encouraging the boys.”  He walked about among them, telling them to hold their ground and he would soon give them reinforcements.  His presence had a most inspiring effect, and the trenches were held by a few hundred soldiers of the Invalid Corps until the promised help came and the enemy withdrew.

On a visit to City Point, Lincoln called upon the head surgeon at that place and said he wished to visit all the hospitals under his charge.  The surgeon asked if he knew what he was undertaking; there were five or six thousand soldiers at that place, and it would be quite a tax upon his strength to visit all the wards.  Lincoln answered, with a smile, that 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 and saying a few words of sympathy to some, making kind inquiries of others, and welcomed by all with the heartiest cordiality.  After some hours the tour of the various hospitals was made, and Lincoln returned with the surgeon to his office.  They had scarcely entered,