GENERAL:—­I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac.  Of course, I have done this upon what appear to me to be sufficient reasons; and yet I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to which I am not satisfied with you.  I believe you to be a brave and skilful soldier, which of course I like.  I also believe that you do not mix politics with your profession, in which you are right.  You have confidence in yourself, which is a valuable if not indispensable quality.  You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than harm; but I think that during General Burnside’s command of the army you have taken counsel with your ambition, and thwarted him as much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer.  I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the Government needed a dictator.  Of course, it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command.  Only those generals who gain success can be dictators.  What I now ask from you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship.  The Government will support you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more nor less than it has done and will do for all commanders.  I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticizing their commander and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you.  I shall assist you, as far as I can, to pull it down.  Neither you nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army while such a spirit prevails in it.  And now, beware of rashness. Beware of rashness; but with energy and sleepless vigilance, go forward and give us victories.

     Yours very truly,
     A. LINCOLN.

In all Lincoln’s writings there are few things finer than this letter.  In its candor and friendliness, its simplicity and deep wisdom, and its clearness of expression, it is almost perfect; and the President’s deep solicitude for the safety of the army and anxiety for its success give a pathetic touch to the closing sentences.  This solicitude found partial relief in a personal inspection of the Army of the Potomac, which was made in April, just before the battle of Chancellorsville, and occupied five or six days.  The President was accompanied by Attorney-General Bates, Mrs. Lincoln, his son Tad, and Mr. Noah P. Brooks.  The first night out was spent on the little steamer which conveyed the party to their destination.  After all had retired to rest except the anxious President and one or two others, Lincoln gave utterance to his deep-seated apprehensions in the whispered query to his friend, “How many of our monitors will you wager are at the bottom of Charleston Harbor?” “I essayed,” writes Mr. Brooks, “to give a cheerful view of the Charleston situation.  But he would not be encouraged.  He then went on