President Lincoln’s favorite son, Tad, having been sportively
commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Army by Secretary
Stanton, procured several muskets and drilled the men-servants of the
house in the manual of arms without attracting the attention of his
father. And one night, to his consternation, he put them all on duty,
and relieved the regular sentries, who, seeing the lad in full uniform,
or perhaps appreciating the joke, gladly went to their quarters. His
brother objected; but Tad insisted upon his rights as an officer. The
President laughed but declined to interfere, but when the lad had lost
his little authority in his boyish sleep, the Commander-in-Chief of the
Army and Navy of the United States went down and personally discharged
the sentries his son had put on the post.