ere to-night about, Mr. President?"

Lincoln nodded. "I am desperately anxious. I needn't conceal that from
you, Mr. Stanton."

"So am I. I wish to God I had more confidence in General Hooker. I never
liked that appointment, Mr. President. I should have preferred Meade
or Reynolds. Hooker is a blustering thick-headed fellow, good enough,
maybe, for a division or even a corps, but not for an army."

"I visited him three weeks back," said Lincoln, "and I'm bound to say
he has marvellously pulled round the Army of the Potomac. There's a new
spirit in their ranks. You're unjust to Joe Hooker, Mr. Stanton. He's
a fine organiser, and he'll fight--he's eager to fight, which McClellan
and Burnside never were."

"But what on earth is the good of being willing to fight if you're going
to lose? He hasn't the brains to command. And he's opposed by Lee and
Jackson. Do you realise the surpassing ability of those two men? We have
no generals fit to hold a candle to them."

"We've a bigger and a better army. I'm not going to be depressed, Mr.
Stanton. Joe has two men to every one of Lee's, he's safe over the
Rappahannock, and I reckon he will make a road to Richmond. I've seen
his troops, and they are fairly bursting to get at the enemy. I insist
on being hopeful. What's the last news from the Mississippi?"

"Nothing new. Grant has got to Port Gibson and has his base at Grand
Gulf. He now proposes to cut loose and make for Vicksburg. So far he has
done well, but the risk is terrific. Still, I am inclined to think you
were right about that man. He has capacity."

"Grant stops still and saws wood," said Lincoln "He don't talk a great
deal, but he fights. I can't help feeling hopeful to-night, for it seems
to me we have the enemy in a fix. You've heard me talk of the shrinking
quadrilateral, which is the rebel States, as I see the proposition."

"Often," said the other drily.

"I never could get McClellan rightly to understand it. I look on
the Confederacy as a quadrilateral of which at present we hold two
sides--the east and the south--the salt-water sides. The north side
is Virginia, the west side the line of the Mississippi. If Grant and
Farragut between them can win the control of the Father of Waters,
we've got the west side. Then it's the business of the Armies on the
Mississippi to press east and the Army of the Potomac to press south.
It may take a time, but if we keep a stiff upper lip we're bound to have
the rebels whi