ndwork
of the military system solid and smooth. Real preparations had begun so
late that only the strong hand could now avail; and though Mr. Walker
still held the empty portfolio of the secretaryship, he, and the army,
and the country knew who, in fact, did the work. But to do Mr. Davis
justice, he did not make his _fantoccini_ suffer if he pulled the
wires the wrong way. He was not only President and secretary of five
departments--which naturally caused some errors; but that spice of the
dictator in him made him quite willing to shoulder the responsibilities
of all the positions.

Now, as in Montgomery, I wondered that the frail body--that could not
bend--did not break beneath the load of anxiety and bodily labor he
imposed upon it. His energy and industry were untiring; and every
afternoon the declining sun found him in the saddle, inspecting and
reviewing the troops, at one of the many camps near town. Sometimes the
hard, stolid face of the Postmaster-General appeared at his side; again
Senator Wigfall galloped along, with his pants stuck in his boots and
seeming to enjoy the saddle much more than the curule chair; and often
"Little Jeff"--the Benjamin of Mr. Davis' household--trotted at his
side. But there was never a suite, seldom a courier; and wherever he
went, plain, stirring syllables of cheer--and strong, grave words of
incentive--dropped from his lips among the soldiery. They were
treasured as the truth, too, by that rough auditory; for as yet, Mr.
Davis was in the zenith of his popularity--a perfect idol with army and
people. The first sight of the tall, erect figure, swaying so easily to
the action of the powerful gray, was a signal for the wildest cheers
from the camps; and the people in the streets raised their hats and
stood uncovered while the representative man passed.

Cavil, jealousy and partisan intrigue, in which he and the cause
finally went down together, had not yet done their work. There were
many murmurers at real, many growlers at supposed, errors; but no
opposition party--truer to itself and its interests than to the
cause--had yet been organized on a basis strong enough to defy and
thwart "the man."

Every one connected with the government remarked the vast difference of
its reception by the Richmond and Montgomery people. The Alabamians
came forward with decision and alacrity to offer their lives and
fortunes to the cause. They made any sacrifices to the government, as
such; but, priv