Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1884 — Lincoln’s Perception. [ARTICLE]

Lincoln’s Perception.

President Lincoln was not a scholar, but he was a student of human nature, and he knew men. A good illustration of the President’s sagacity in dealing with men is given in the following anecdote, published in “Blue and Gray Jack Williams was a brave sergeant of a regiment which, undrilled and undisciplined. had joined the Army of the Potomac just as the terrible campaign of 1864 began. Before the army reached Petersburg, J ack commanded his company, the captain and lieutenants having been killed. His gallantry was so conspicuous that he was recommended for a captaincy in the regular army. Ordered before an examining board at Washington, Jack presented himself, dressed in a soiled, torn uniform, with bronzed face and uncut beard. The trim, dapper officers composing the board had never been under fire nor roughed in the field, but they were posted in tactics and in the theory of war. Though shocked at Jack’s unsoldierly appearance, they asked him all sorts of questions about engineering, mathematics, ordnance and campaigns. Not a single question could Jack answer, “What is an echelon ?” asked one of the board. “Don’t know,” answered Jack. “What is an abatis ?” “Never saw one.” “A redan?” 1 “You fellows have got me again," replied Jack. “Well, what is a hollow square, sir?” “Never heard of one before; guess they don’t have them down at the front, do they ?” . “What would you do, sir, if you were in command of a company, and cavalry should charge on you ?” asked a lisping fellow, in white kids. “Do, you fool!” thundered Jack; “I would give them Hail Columbia, that’s what I’d do!” This ended the examination, and the report of questions and answers, with the adverse judgment of the board, was sent to President Lincoln. His private secretary read the report to him, and when he came to the only answer that Jack had given, the President said: “Stop! read that over again.” “That’s just the sort of men our army want!” said the President, taking the report and dipping his pen in the inkstand. On the back of the paper he wrote in a clear hand: “Give this man a captain’s commission. A. Lincoln.”