Sixth regiment working in his shirt sleeves with a plane
and helping to build a house. After saluting him I asked how he liked
this kind of work, to which he answered that another professor had been
appointed in his place while he was in the war, and being through with
the service, he neither liked nor could afford to be idle. Having
acquired some skill in handling carpenter's tools in his youth, he said
he found it easy to get work at two dollars a day, and meanwhile he
could be on the look-out for a position as professor of mathematics at
some college or university.

Here is the key to the greatness of this country: Labor is respected,
while in most other countries it is looked down upon with slight. The
former professor and Capt. Wilson was soon thereafter appointed state
superintendent of schools, while, if he had remained idle and dependent
upon his relatives and friends for assistance, too proud to work, he
would most likely have been looking around for something to turn up to
this day.

Another little incident, which occurred about this time may interest the
Swedish reader. The great Gen. Sherman visited St. Paul, and a banquet
was given to him at which I was present. During the conversation I asked
about the Swedish Gen. Stohlbrand. "Do you know him?" Gen. Sherman
inquired. "Yes, sir; he is my countryman, and we served in the same
regiment in Sweden," I said. "Then," said he, "you may be proud of your
old comrade, for a braver man and a better artillery officer than Gen.
Stohlbrand could not be found in our entire army."

At the same time the general told the following: Stohlbrand had served
in his corps for some time with the rank of major, and performed such
services as properly belong to a colonel or brigadier-general without
being promoted according to his merits, because there had been no
vacancy in the regiment to which he belonged. Displeased with this,
Stohlbrand sent in his resignation, which was accepted, but Sherman had
made up his mind not to let him leave the army, and asked him to go by
way of Washington on his return home, pretending that he wished to send
some important dispatches to President Lincoln. In due time Stohlbrand
arrived in Washington and handed a sealed package to President Lincoln
in person. Having looked the papers through the president extended his
hand exclaiming: "How do you do, General!" Stohlbrand, correcting him,
said; "I am no general, I am only a major." "You are mistake