Part 29 (1/2)

Lieut. H. B. Smith, 5th N. Y. H. Arty. and Commanding Detectives, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps, with one man, Lucius Babc.o.c.k, of his force, will proceed to New York City, on special government business. After transacting same, he will at once return to these headquarters.

Quartermasters will furnish transportation.

By command of Bvt. Brigadier General Morris.

WM. H. WIEGEL, Capt. & Actg. Provost Marshal.

The following refers to my seeking extended territory:

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, Feby. 21, 1865.

Unofficial.

Captain:

General Morris desires you to write a letter about Lieut.

Smith, asking such an appointment as will suit him. Address it to the Adjutant General and send it to me and I will get the General to put an endors.e.m.e.nt on and forward it.

Don't you think you could take it to the Secretary and accomplish something?

Yours truly, SAMUEL B. LAWRENCE, a.s.sistant Adjutant General.

To Capt. Wiegel.

Pending the issuance of a commission which was to give me an independent command, to operate in the Shenandoah Valley, and also south of the lower Potomac, I had been striving to get authority to extend our operations to the Rappahannock, to avail ourselves of the valuable data we had acc.u.mulated.

Captain Wiegel and I went to Was.h.i.+ngton, as suggested by Colonel Lawrence, to see Secretary Stanton. When we arrived at Mr. Stanton's door I discovered the mental makeup and character of Wiegel. Mr.

Stanton, in manner, was not pleasant to interview. He was brusque, rough, and appeared to think the world was made for him. Wiegel had much avoirdupois, but not deep brain convolutions. He had been on General Butler's staff in New Orleans. He was full of egotism, but when he approached Mr. Stanton's door he wilted, and asked me to do the talking, while he listened.

Mr. Stanton did not eat me, and on March 20th our request was granted. I have always found it pleasanter to do business with the proprietor than with the man that sweeps out.

There is no doubt but that Secretary Stanton made many critics by his brusque manner. One did not need to waste words with him, but if a communication was couched in terse language it pleased him. He disliked a cringing interviewer. I did not dislike to have business with him, nor have I ever with men similarly const.i.tuted.

Wiegel was a domineering bl.u.s.terer to his subordinates, but a cringing sycophant to those over him. Stanton's office was not a congenial climate for him.

Secretary Dana was a most agreeable gentleman and no less an executive than Stanton.

FILE x.x.xVI.

Paine, who was afterwards one of the conspirators in the a.s.sa.s.sinators'

plot, in my custody--Miss Branson appeared to plead for him--Paine released on parole, lacking evidence to prove him a spy.

I will now introduce the material from which was builded an actor. Lewis Paine, who brutally hacked at Secretary Seward while Booth was a.s.sa.s.sinating the President. He was one of the characters produced for the closing scene in that greatest tragedy.