Many of the volunteer officers developed a liking for the new
profession, and to secure a permanency obtained entrance into the
established army. Among these was one Lieutenant Ben Tappan. Secretary
Stanton being his uncle, no difficulty offered but this autocrat ought
to remove, but unfortunately Stanton was a stickler for forms, and the
relationship looked like nepotism to the world. Tappan particularly
wished to stay on the staff on account of the privileges. His
stepfather, Frank Wright, induced their congressman, Judge
Shellabarger, to accompany him to the presidential mansion to obtain
the boon. Lincoln was lukewarm, and told a story about the army being
all staff and no strength, saying that, if one rolled a stone in front
of Willard's Hotel, the military rendezvous for those officers off duty
and on (dress) parade, it must knock over a brigadier or two, but
suddenly wrote a paper to this novel effect:
"Lieutenant Ben Tappan, of ---, etc., desires transfer to --- Regiment,
regular service, and is assigned to staff duty with present rank. If
the only objection to this transfer is Lieutenant Tappan's relationship
to the secretary of war, that objection is hereby overruled.
"A. LINCOLN."
This threw the responsibility upon the secretary.
* * * * *