''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 183rapidly as possible, and then would come a demand for more horses, morethis and that, usually winding up with a demand for still "more men."Lincoln bore it all in patience for a long time, but one day, when he hadreceived another request for more men, he made a vigorous protest."If I gave McClellan all the men he asks for," said the President, "theycouldn't find room to lie down. They'd have to sleep standing up."SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT ANOTHER BATTLE.General Meade, after the great victory at Gettysburg, was again face to facewith General Lee shortly afterwards at Williamsport, and even the former'swarmest friends agree that he might have won in another battle, but he tookno action. He was not a "pushing" man like Grant. It was this negligence onthe part of Meade that lost him the rank of Lieutenant-General, conferredupon General Sheridan.A friend of Meade's, speaking to President Lincoln and intimating thatMeade should have, after that battle, been made Commander-in-Chief ofthe Union Armies, received this reply from Lincoln:"Now, don't misunderstand me about General Meade. I am profoundlygrateful down to the bottom of my boots for what he did at Gettysburg, butI think that if I had been General Meade I would have fought anotherbattle."LINCOLN UPBRAIDED LAMON.In one of his reminiscences of Lincoln, Ward Lamon tells how keenly thePresident-elect always regretted the "sneaking in act" when he made thecelebrated "midnight ride," which he took under protest, and landed him inWashington known to but a few. Lamon says:"The President was convinced that he committed a grave mistake inlistening to the solicitations of a 'professional spy' and of friends too easily