Lincoln loved anything that savored of wit or humor among the soldiers.
He used to relate two stories to show, he said, that neither death nor
danger could quench the grim humor of the American soldier:
“A soldier of the Army of the Potomac was being carried to the rear of
battle with both legs shot off, who, seeing a pie-woman, called out,
‘Say, old lady, are them pies sewed or pegged?’
“And there was another one of the soldiers at the battle of
Chancellorsville, whose regiment, waiting to be called into the fight,
was taking coffee. The hero of the story put to his lips a crockery
mug which he had carried with care through several campaigns. A stray
bullet, just missing the tinker’s head, dashed the mug into fragments
and left only the handle on his finger. Turning his head in that
direction, he scowled, ‘Johnny, you can’t do that again!’”