General Grant told this story about Lincoln some years after the War:
“Just after receiving my commission as lieutenant-general the President
called me aside to speak to me privately. After a brief reference to
the military situation, he said he thought he could illustrate what he
wanted to say by a story. Said he:
“‘At one time there was a great war among the animals, and one side had
great difficulty in getting a commander who had sufficient confidence in
himself. Finally they found a monkey by the name of Jocko, who said he
thought he could command their army if his tail could be made a little
longer. So they got more tail and spliced it on to his caudal appendage.
“‘He looked at it admiringly, and then said he thought he ought to
have still more tail. This was added, and again he called for more. The
splicing process was repeated many times until they had coiled Jocko’s
tail around the room, filling all the space.
“‘Still he called for more tail, and, there being no other place to coil
it, they began wrapping it around his shoulders. He continued his call
for more, and they kept on winding the additional tail around him until
its weight broke him down.’
“I saw the point, and, rising from my chair, replied, ‘Mr. President, I
will not call for any more assistance unless I find it impossible to do
with what I already have.’”
“DON’T KILL HIM WITH YOUR FIST.”
Ward Lamon, Marshal of the District of Columbia during Lincoln’s time in
Washington, was a powerful man; his strength was phenomenal, and a
blow from his fist was like unto that coming from the business end of a
sledge.
Lamon tells this story, the hero of which is not mentioned by name, but
in all probability his identity can be guessed:
“On one occasion, when the fears of the loyal element of the city
(Washington) were excited to fever-heat, a free fight near the old
National Theatre occurred about eleven o’clock one night. An officer,
in passing the place, observed what was going on, and seeing the great
number of persons engaged, he felt it to be his duty to command the
peace.
“The imperative tone of his voice stopped the fighting for a moment, but
the leader, a great bully, roughly pushed back the officer and told him
to go away or he would whip him. The officer again advanced and said,
‘I arrest you,’ attempting to place his hand on the man’s shoulder, when
the bully struck a fearful blow at the officer’s face.
“This was parried, and instantly followed by a blow from the fist of the
officer, striking the fellow under the chin and knocking him senseless.
Blood issued from his mouth, nose and ears. It was believed that the
man’s neck was broken. A surgeon was called, who pronounced the case a
critical one, and the wounded man was hurried away on a litter to the
hospital.
“There the physicians said there was concussion of the brain, and that
the man would die. All the medical skill that the officer could procure
was employed in the hope of saving the life of the man. His
conscience smote him for having, as he believed, taken the life of a
fellow-creature, and he was inconsolable.
“Being on terms of intimacy with the President, about two o’clock that
night the officer went to the White House, woke up Mr. Lincoln, and
requested him to come into his office, where he told him his story. Mr.
Lincoln listened with great interest until the narrative was completed,
and then asked a few questions, after which he remarked:
“‘I am sorry you had to kill the man, but these are times of war, and
a great many men deserve killing. This one, according to your story,
is one of them; so give yourself no uneasiness about the matter. I will
stand by you.’
“‘That is not why I came to you. I knew I did my duty, and had no fears
of your disapproval of what I did,’ replied the officer; and then he
added: ‘Why I came to you was, I felt great grief over the unfortunate
affair, and I wanted to talk to you about it.’
“Mr. Lincoln then said, with a smile, placing his hand on the officer’
shoulder: ‘You go home now and get some sleep; but let me give you this
piece of advice--hereafter, when you have occasion to strike a man,
don’t hit him with your fist; strike him with a club, a crowbar, or with
something that won’t kill him.’”