An account of the private life and public services of Salmon Portland Chase

Front matter

I

I

I

CHAPTER I. About the Town of Cornish and the Chases — Ancestral Relations 18

Cornish did not really Secede — No Secessionism in the Hero' s Blood — He never a Secessionist — Ithamar, his Father, and Janette, his Mother — English Lineage and Scotch Lineage — Sandie Ralston and his Wife, Jennie, nee Balloch — New England Manners — Ton and Type — Heredity.

CHAPTER II. The Hero's Earliest Recollections 33

The Trowbridge Letters — French Refugees — The Pedagogic Sister — Sights and Sounds — Schooling — Betty Marble — Ithamar, the Tavern Keeper and Distiller — Party Politics — Mother Wit and other Wit of the Hero — Memorizing— The Way to Wealth — The Boy as Father to the Man.

CHAPTER III. A Farther Study of the Hero's Early Life — Foreshadowings 45

Sickness in Infancy — The Good Sister — Aspects of Cornish — The Connecticut River — Views of Keene — The Switzerland of America — Windsor — Chase's Life almost Nomadic — More about the Hero's Father — Death of the Latter — Grace and Betty Marble — Music — More about the School Life of the Hero — Warning against Intemperance.

CHAPTER IV. First Sojourn in the Ohio Country 64

Accounts of the Ohio Country — Excursions in New Hampshire — Journey to Ohio — Indians — Niagara Falls — Lake Erie — The Ferry-boy at Cleveland — Riding and Tying — Through the Forest — Arrival at Worthington — Philander Chase, the Bishop — Life at Worthington — The Pigeon Roost.

CHAPTER V. At Worthington with Bishop Chase 76

More about the Bishop — More about Life at Worthington.

CHAPTER VI. At Worthington with Bishop Chase, and thence to Cincinnati 83

At School and on the Farm — The Shaving of the Pig with Cousin Chase's

VI CONTENTS.

Razors — More Ways than One of Doing a Thing — " Call me a Yankee again and I'll kick you "—Kicking — School-Fellows at Worthington — Charles D. Drake— Religious Life — The "Darned Old Tyrant"— Hard Times— To Cincinnati.

CHAPTER VII. At Cincinnati for the First Time 03

Cincinnati College — Dr. Slack and the Calf — Courage — Physical and Moral — " I shall not tell " — Severe Restraint —Topography of Cincinnati — Society — Blacks in the Cincinnati Valley — Dr. Drake's Account of Cincinnati Life.

CHAPTER VIII. Return to New England — At Dartmouth College 105

Incidents of Travel — Mud Gods — At Home Again — School Teaching — Preparation for College — At Royalton — Admirable Letters of the Hero's Mother — Admission as Junior at Dartmouth — College Life — Rebellion.

CHAPTER IX. Chase at Washington — The Wirt Family — Making Verses 118

Leaving Home — The Wide. Wide World — At Frederick City — At Washington for the First Time — School Teaching and Law Studies — Uncle Dudley and the Clerkship — Mr. Plumley — The Wirts — *Mrs Admiral Goldsborough — Agnes Wirt — The Russian Count — Translating — Aspects of the Capital — Journey Northward and Return — Verse-Making.

Chapter X

Presidential Levees — Mrs. Eaton — Jackson — Henry Clay — Anecdote of John Adams — Jefferson's Daughter — Methodists — More about the Wirts.

CHAPTER XI. Legal Studies — Admission to the Bar — Farewell to Washington 164

Legal Reading — Daniel Webster — Life, Law, and Language the Proper Studies of a Legist — More about the Wirts — Admission to the Bar — Another Warning against Intemperance — Jackson and Adams — Van Buren — Judge Burnet.

CHAPTER XII. From Washington to Cincinnati — Cincinnati in 1830 182

Stage Travel and Travel by Steamboat — General Tipton and Self-Teaching — Description of Cincinnati by Chase — Religious Convictions — Flirtation — Anecdotes — The First Client — John Young — The Longworths — Playing Poet.

CHAPTER XIII. The Hero as Lecturer and Essayist — Miscellany 197

The Cincinnati Lyceum and the Mechanics' Institute — The Cincinnati American — Lectures and Editorials — False Idea as to Merit and Success —

CONTENTS. Vll

Brougham — Effects of Machinery — Society — Economic Studies — Smith and Say— The Flood of 1832.

CHAPTER XIV. Law and Love — Miss Garniss — Progress 214

Chase and Calhoun — Wirt's View of Secession — The Cincinnati American — McDuffie — Nullification — Chase as a Clay Whig — Judge Walker and Judge Hall — Sickness of the Hero — Agriculture and Religion — Miss Garniss — Dr. Lyman Beecher — Self-Accusation — Sabbatarian Views — Working on a Law Book — More about Miss Garniss — Business and Courtship.

Chapter XV

Retrospect — Comparison of Chase and Wirt — Wirt's Death — Chase's First

Marriage 231

Letter from Wirt to Chase — Wirt's Presidential Candidature — Anti-Masonry — Kennedy, Wirt, and Chase — Chase's Intention to Write a Life of Wirt — Suggestions as to Biography in General and as to this Biography in Particular— Surviving Relatives of Famous Men — The Wirt Family, and Kennedy's Life of its Head — Chase as a "Literary Lawyer" — The First Wife of the Hero as described by him — The Hero a Right Lover — His First Marriage — His High Standing as a Lawyer — A Characteristic Letter, declining an Employment — Chase and Nicholas Longworth.

CHAPTER XVI. Chiefly Political — McLean and Harrison — Professional Progress — The

First Child.. 246

Appearance and Deportment of McLean — His Character and Powers — Characteristics of Harrison — The " Jackson Party " — Chase as a Clay Whig — Judge Hall and Judge Wright — Edward Everett — Sam. F. Vinton — Chase's Regard for Calhoun — Material Prosperity and Economic Prospects?— Birth of the First Daughter.

CHAPTER XVII. The Hero's Greatest Sorrow — Unexpected Death of the First Wife 253

Sorrow's Works and the Works of Joy — Wirt's Great Sorrow — Broken Hearts and Hearts that can not Break — The Burr School and the Wirt School — Trojans and true Greeks — Hearts that can Weep and be Brave — Some Views of Lessing — Kitty's Illness — Bleeding — Doctors Differ — Daniel Drake — A Victim to the Healing Art — Justice to Dr. Drake — His Devotion to his Views of Duty — A Domestic Tragedy — Return Home — Home Desolate — Love and Death — A Grief that can not be Persuaded that it is Weakness to Mourn and Wisdom to Enjoy — The Hero a true Greek — uPensez a moi " — "Yes ! I will think of thee as long as I live" — The Boy David — Sorrowing and Toiling — More about the Revelations of this Volume and its Objects — A Strange History — About the Use of Certain Matter in this Work — Consultation with Chase on that Subject.

CHAPTER XVIII. Sorrowing and Toiling — Private Life and Life in Public 277

Sabbath-schools — Distraction in Church — Religious Meditation — Self-re-

Vlll CONTENTS.

proach — Domestic Afflictions — Prosecution of a criminal case — Chase, Read, Benham, Fox — "Repetitionary" speaking — Visits to a Grave — Reminiscences of the Lost One — Political possibilities — Letter of Condolence from Mrs. Wirt — The Little One — The Matilda case — Dr. Townshend — Chase not an Abolitionist in 1838 — An important communication to the Cincinnati Gazette.

Chapter XIX

The Second Wife — Death of the First Daughter — Birth of the Second

Daughter — Other Matters 286

Family Memoranda — Miss Eliza Ann Smith — The Second Marriage of the hero — Death of the first child — Sunday-school and Church — Urban Politics — Chase as a Councilman — Not happy as a Politician — Gen. Harrison and Dr. Bailey — 1840 — The Episcopal Church and Slavery in Texas — Fashionable Party — Contrasts — Death of Benham — Chase refuses to sign call for anti-slavery Convention — Reminiscences of the first daughter — An angelic little one — Habits of the hero — Method — Birth of Mrs. Sprague — The babe pronounced pretty— The delighted father and fond husband — Meditations about godliness — Dark religious views — True at heart and to the heart's core — Travels — Reading — The Bible — Thiers on the French Revolution.

Chapter XX

From 1840 to 1845 — The Vanzandt Case — Politics and Professional Occupations— Death of the Second Wife 294

Chase and the madness of 1840 — He supports Harrison, but mildly — King Alcohol at Cincinnati — The License Question in the City Council— Home talks — State Liberty Convention — Chase " on the stump " as a Liberty Man — The Vanzandt case — Uncle TomJs Cabin — Judge McLean and Slavery — The Supreme Court — Chase and Seward — Liberty Address by Chase — Religious introspection — Cold in prayer — Mental Reservations — Chase and Butler — Birney's Presidental Candidature — Daniel O'Connell and David T. Disney- — Chase as a Repealer and a Liberator — Family Memoranda — Landscape Gardening — Death of the Second Wife — Hearing little Kate read the Bible — Samuel Lewis — Type of Chase's religiousness— His public spirit and his private worth — The Southern and Western Liberty Convention — Address by Chase — His comparison of the Whig Party with the Democratic Party — His account of the Liberty Party — His opinion as to the necessity of party organizations — Tribute to Charles Follen.

CHAPTER XXI. The Watson Case — The Third Marriage — Politics 309

Chase and Judge Read — The Watson case — The Parish case — Characteristic Letter against Slavery — The third Marriage — Miss Sarah Bella Dunlop Ludlow — Birth of Mrs. Hoyt — Letter to John P. Hale — Liberty Convention at Buffalo in 1847 — Democratic Convention at Columbus, Jan. 8, 1848 — The "mitigate and eradicate" plank of the platform — Mr. Thurman — Judge Spaulding — Gen. Cass and the Wilmot Proviso — Buffalo Convention of '48 — Work of Chase in that convention.

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER XXTI.

Senator Chase — Exciting Struggles — Tests and Trials 320

Attempted division of Hamilton County as an Election District — Pugh and Pierce — Chase's letter to Morse — To Hutchings — Judge Whitman and ex- Senator Pugh on Chase — The Roll case — Question of constitutional law — Donn Piatt, Judge Read, and Chase — Read on Chase — Spencer and Pugh in debate — Chase's account of his course in politics — His election to the Senate in 1849 — Letters, indicating his relations to the Democratic party from 1849 till 1852 — Self-description — Gen. Houston — Letter to Gerritt Smith.

CHAPTER XXIII. The Senatorial Service of the Hero — Chase and Douglas — Bleeding

Kansas 336

Cass and Van Buren — Chase's account of his action in the Senate — Scott and Pierce — The Free Democrats at Pittsburg-j-Chase and Lewis " on the stump" — The Little Giant — Comparison of Chase and Douglas — The Missouri Compromise — Anticipation — Letter from Gov. Chase to a gentleman in Kansas — Letter to Seward in 1858.

CHAPTER XXIV. Relations of Chase to the Know-Nothings — Governor of Ohio 344

The Rosetta case — Was Chase a Trimmer ? — Pugh and Chase — Chase and the Know-Nothings — Anti-Nebraska Convention — Chase elected Governor of Ohio — The Garner case — A tragedy of real life — Commissioner Pendry — Judge Leavitt — The Fugitive Slave Law — A Slave Hunt in Champaign County — Pugh and Valandigham — The Treasury Defalcation — Gen. Gibson — A. P. Stone — A bad Appointment — Inevitable Egotism — Communications to the author by the hero in 1857, 1858, and 1859 — Attempted democratization of the Republican party — The canvass of 1857 — The Dred Scott case — "Who stole the people's money?" — Experiences of a stumper — Lawless action at Cleveland and elsewhere, against Slavery — Judge Swan politically guillotined— The " Milish " of Ohio — Chase as Commander-in-chief — Policy as to Extradition — Chase and John Brown — Was Brown insane? — Chase not well adapted to the role of the demagogue.

CHAPTER XXV. Chase and Lincoln 362

Afflictions of the hero at Columbus — Death of Miss Alice Chase — Letter to Lincoln in 1860 — The Nominating Convention — Chase's disappointment and complaint — Lincoln's characteristic answer — Letter to Mrs. Randall Hunt — Important expression against the pretensions of the South — Devotion of the hero to the Union — Remarkable letter to Gen. Scott proposing a coup d'etat — The Peace Convention — Chase as Secretary of the Treasury — About provisioning Fort Sumter — Curious course of Gen. Scott — Chase's advice to him — Characteristic letter to Judge Taft, defining Chase's opposition to Secession— Letter to a son of William Wirt — Letter to Dr. Fuller — War and Peace.

X CONTENTS.

Chapter XXVI

The Peace Conference — The Civil War — Chase in the Treasury 377

Letter to Thaddeus Stevens about Lincoln, and about the true policy of the Republican party in January, 1861 — Noble speech in the Peace Conference — Chase's commission as Secretary of the Treasury — Duties of his office — His predecessors and successors — His own definition of his leading objects as a financier — His too great attention to martial men and martial measures — Censure of him in the North American Review — Public Economics as a science — Letter to Gen. Hooker — Letter to Mr. Trowbridge about the hero's course as financier.

Chapter XXVII

The Civil War and Slavery — Purse and Sword — The Trent Affair 389

Letter to the author from Secretary Chase — The War and Slavery — Meeting of Bankers — Annual Report — Wade and Ashley — Views of Chase as to Secession and Reconstruction — Gen. McClellan — Andrew Johnson on Gen. Sherman — Judge Key and Emancipation in the District of Columbia — The Trent Affair as viewed by Chase.

CHAPTER XXVIII. McClellan and McDowell — Port Royal— Cameron's Resignation 395

Reception at the White House — Lord Lyons and Chase — Sumner and Mc- Dowell and the big turkey — Port Royal — Letter to T. C. Day — " Is there any possibility of guarding against mischance and events? " — Difficulties of a Secretary of the Treasury — The Progress of the War against Secession —Sumner's speech on the Trent Affair — McDowell and McClellan — Judge- Colonel Key — Resignation of Secretary Cameron — Memories of Many Men and of Some Women — Chase's little diaries — Account of Cameron's Resignation— Seward's alleged account of quarrels in the Cabinet — Secretary Stanton — Consultation and agreement with Bankers — Legal Tender.

CHAPTER XXIX. The Legal Tender Cases 408

Senatorial candidature — Letter to Hon. Rush R. Sloan — Chase on Wade — Judges Key and Hoadly — Judge Spaulding — Letter to Wm. Cullen Bryant on Legal Tender — Letter to Judge Baldwin on the same subject — Hepburn vs. Grisivold — Legal Tender Cases — Article in the North American Review — Letter to Hon. Reverdy Johnson about matters in Maryland — Cotton permits — Letter to Gen. Dix — Charges of corrupt dealing in Cotton — Chase and Mellen — Letter to M. D. Potter — An unfortunate intimacy — Disposition to control or influence the press.

CHAPTER XXX. Slavery abolished in the District of Columbia 416

Foreign Intervention — Recent successes of the Union arms — Letter to Bishop Mcllvaine — Letter to M. D. Potter — News from Fort Donnelson — Grant, Halleck, Lander, Burnside, Goldsborough — Washington's birth- day anniversary— Draft of message prepared by Chase — Lincoln and Chase — Letter

CONTENTS. XI

to Gen. Halleck — Mr. Mellen — Letter to Hon. Henry Wilson — Carl Schurz — Interview with Dr Fuller — Port Royal — Slavery and the War — Unitarians and Baptists among the freedmen — Marriages among them — Prospects of Port Royal — Judge-Colonel Key — His friendship for Chase — W. D. Bickham and the wooden guns at Manassas — Political Metaphysics — Reconstruction — Letter to Mr. Mellen — The Cincinnati Commercial and McClellan — Letter to Gen. McDowell — Letter to Gen. Bradford R. Wood on Slavery and the conduct of the War — Policy of Emancipation — Letter to Rev. W. G. Elliot — Brigadier-making — Abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia — Port Royal — War News — Judge Lane and Gen. McClellan — Letter to Miss Nettie Chase — Chase, Stanton, and Lincoln at Norfolk — Gen. Wool — Chase playing soldier — The Monitor and the Merrimac — Suicide of the rebel monster — Norfolk taken.

CHAPTER XXXI. Chase, McDowell, Hunter, Fremont, Pope, and McClellan 433

Letter to Gen. McDowell — Stanton — McClellan " surrounded by a staff of writers" — Counsel to McDowell — Chase's appreciation of him — Letter to Lincoln about Hunter's enfranchising order — -Characteristic answer of Lincoln — Notice of Gen. Hunter — Gen. Butler — Baring Brothers & Co. and the Rebellion — Narrative by Chase — Shields, McDowell, Ord, McCall, Fremont, Banks, Saxton, McClellan — Shenandoah Valley — Chase's difference with Lincoln as to McClellan — Stonewall Jackson — Chase as a strategist — Gurowski growling about Seward — Anecdote of Seward — Value of a Cromwell according to Seward — His appreciation of a coup d'etat — Novelty of a Cabinet Meeting — Messrs. Speed, Holloway, and Casey — Pope on McClellan — Account of an interview with Lincoln — Discussion about enlistment of colored soldiers — Strange letter from Col. Key about McClellan — Chase urging Lincoln to remove McClellan, as not loyal to the Administration, though loyal to the country — Financial grounds also urged — Cabinet Meeting— Lincoln not willing to arm slaves — Important orders — Gen. Mitchell on clearing the Mississippi — Pope thinks Mitchell visionary — Gen. Morgan's resignation.

Chapter XXXII

Halleck and the Cabinet — Merits of Generals — Toward Emancipation... 444

Cabinet Meeting — Blair on Colonization — Letters to Pope and Butler touching on the Slavery Question— Talk with Halleck — Halleck on Buell, Grant, and Thomas — Talk with General Shields about Movement up the Shenandoah— Chase on Strategy again — "Sad! sad! yet nobody seems to heed!" — Another Talk with General Shields — Cabinet Meeting — Chase on Interference with Slavery in order to suppress the Rebellion — Merits of Generals — Seward interrogates Chase — What Chase would do were he commander-in-chief — Clearing of the Mississippi — Halleck with the President in Cabinet Meeting — Statements by Chase and Seward to Halleck — Halleck's Views — His Account of the Distribution of Troops in the West — Halleck's Proposal — His Condemnation of Improper Promotions — Halleck on Buell and McClellan — Lincoln and the Border States — The Douglas Party in Kentucky — The Cherokees and the Confederates — The " Great War Meet-

Xll CONTENTS.

ing," August 6, 1862— Chase's Account of Lincoln's Speech and his Characteristics— Chase at chess — Letter to Hon. Edward Everett.

CHAPTER XXXTII.

Chase and McDowell — The War on McClellan 451

Talk of the President with colored people on colonization — Chase in favor of a Military Order of Emancipation, at least in certain places — Martial Musings of our Financier — Chase on Halleck— " If he fails, all fails " — Pope, Grant, Buell, Burnside, and McClellan — Stanton — Halleck to control McClellan— Talk with Halleck— His Account of Forces— About Ashley- Painful Matter— Letters to Messrs. Waggoner and Latty on that Subject — Pleasant Letters — Letter to A. P. Stone — Letter to Mr. Seward — Stanton and Chase agreed about McClellan — Chase remonstrates with Halleck against continuing McClellan in command — Bates and Welles — Halleck does not answer as he said he would — David Dudley Field — Pope defeated — Letter toThaddeus Stevens — Other Letters — An anxious Day — Queer Colonel Key

— The War on McClellan — Welles refuses to sign the "Round Robbin " — Lincoln clings to McClellan — McDowell on McClellan — Chase on McDowell, Pope, and McClellan — Cabinet Meeting — Lincoln and McDowell — Letter to Hon. George Opdyke — More about Chase's Interest in Men and Measures of the Martial Order. >

CHAPTER XXXIV. The Interest Deepens- -Purse and Sword 463

Old Friends at Breakfast, — McDowell — Pope on Fitz-John Porter and Mc- Clellan— Mr. Barney — Colonel Crook — Burnside — Alarm at Washington — Cassius M. Clay — General Mansfield's Story — Twiggs in Texas — K. G. C. and Juarez — Davis and Breckenridge — Lincoln, Stanton, and Wadsworth

— A Suspicious Character — Seward's Diplomatic correspondence — James A. Hamilton on Seward — Interview of the N. Y. Committee with the President— Chase on the conduct of the War — Recital — Governor Curtin's Request — Halleck, Stanton, Lincoln, Chase — Enormous Expenses — Chase on Lincoln, his counselors, and the commanding general — Lincoln and McClellan — W. D. Bickham ] — Interview between Chase and Seward — A Jest which seemed to Chase "ill timed" — Pitt Cooke, Geo. F. O'Harra, and Henry D. Cooke — A solitary Breakfast — Naval Speculations — Welles, Fox, Seward, Chase — General Cullom — A style of remark that did not suit our warlike Financier — Halleck and the Situation — Jay Cooke and the N. Y. Bankers — Schenck — Hunter — Curtin's Information — Battles and the Battlers— McClellan's Telegram — He thinks Lee has blundered, and hopes to make him repent of it — Spiritual Vaticinations — Weed and Chase in a "long talk" — More Tidings from McClellan.

CHAPTER XXXV. The Emancipation Proclamation — Hooker and McClellan 477

Conversations — Schenck and his Wound — Bannister at Breakfast — Secre-

1 Of this gentleman's book about Rosecrans' campaign, Mr. Chase said : " It is vivid, rapid, clear."

CONTENTS. XI 11

tary Welles and Chase on Strategy — Weed calls with Morgan — Texas Bonds — Stanton on Halleck's mistake about McClellan — Sigel's Camp — Judge Hoadly — Reverdy Johnson with the President — Robert Dale Owen's eloquent Letter in favor of Emancipation — Halleck's Surrender to McClellan — Mr. Garrett and the B. & 0. R. R. — No man safe from being a Brigadier — Chase under Doctor's orders — Home Life — September 22, 1862 — Cabinet Meeting — The President reads Artemus Ward's Account of the "High Handed Outrage at Utica" — Takes a graver tone, and reads the Emancipation Proclamation — Makes a speech on it — Seward and Chase on the Proclamation — Blair's Protest — Lincoln as an Orator — Chase on Lincoln's Modes of Thought and Expression — Chase's Recommendations as to trade in certain Southern Products — Barney, Weed, and Wadsworth — Donn Piatt and others with Chase — Letter from Chase to Senator Sherman — Criticisms — Curious Forbearance — Chase to Butler — Evil Communications ever did corrupt good manners — Chase on Lincoln, Halleck, and McClellan — Chase and Garfield call on Hooker — Hooker on McClellan — Garfield's Autobiographic Talk — Special Meeting of the Cabinet — Colonization and the Cherokees — Another call on Hooker — Letter to Mr. Follett — Letter to E. G. Arnold.

CHAPTER XXXVI. The Governors at Altoona — Death of Nelson — Garfield's Story 493

Dinner at Mr. Seward's — Gen. Banks — British notables — Mr. Everett — Colonization — Cabinet Meeting — The loyal Governors — Their Conference at Altoona — Gov. Andrew and the iV. Y. Herald — Gen. Cox — Hooker on Mc- Clellan— Lincoln on McClernand — The nail hit right on the head — Financial matters — Mitchell, Garfield, Halleck — Talk with Halleck — Martial men and martial measures — Gen. Harney — Letter to Mr. Carson about Ohio politics — KeyandTaft — Death of Gen. Nelson — Gen. Garfield's story — Gen. Pillow's brother — Mr. Seward and Mr. Stuart — Purchases of cotton — Seward on foreign relations — Trade orders' and regulations — Cotton and coal — At home, to favor foot — Visit to Hooker — Hooker on McClellan — Stanton, Hamilton, Stevens, and Montgomery at dinner — Gov. Morton and Indiana politics — Furloughing of Indiana regiments — Breakfast party — Gen. Keyes — Gen. Garfield — Wadsworth — Conversation with Gen. Cochrane about McClellan — Chase on "our young Napoleon" — Cabinet Meeting— War matters — Seward and Welles — Financial matters — M. Andre Cochut's article on American finances — Chase's own financial views — Paper money not to be permanently relied on — Congress and Mr. Chase — Letter to Hon. John Bigelow — Tidings from Kentucky — Letter from John Cochrane about McClellan — Talk with Gen. Hunter — Hunter on Halleck, Lincoln, and Stanton.

CHAPTER XXXVII. Downfall of McClellan — West Virginia — The Proclamation 50C

At home, nursing inflamed foot — Letter to Barney — Letter to Hon. F. A. Conkling — Downfall of McClellan complete — Lincoln to Chase — The Secretary's part of the President's Message — The financial situation — Return to specie payments — Banking associations under general act of Congress recommended— Resignations of Seward and Chase — Important correspondence —

XIV CONTENTS.

Resignations withdrawn — Relations of Chase and Lincoln — Both real worthies — West Virginia — Chase's views in a letter to the President — Another letter to the President — The Proclamation — Draft prepared by- Chase.

CHAPTER XXXVIII. Congratulation of Rosecrans — The Hurtt-Cooke Scandal 516

Letter to Rosecrans — Letter to Major Skinner — Chase on Rosecrans — Letter to James Watson Webb — Monroe and Parsons — Mr. Whittlesey — His death — The Hurtt-Cooke scandal — Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette — Hurtt to Henry D. Cooke — Cooke to Hurtt — Had Chase guilty knowledge ? — Defense of his memory against the executor of his last will and testament — Character of Cooke — Chase free from arrogance — Chase to Lincoln about the case of Mr. Mark Howard and about appointments generally — Lincoln's answer, disagreeing— Intended resignation — Not actually tendered — Mr. Field's account of a talk with Lincoln — Victor Smith and Chase — Correspondence between Lincoln and Chase — Letter to Victor Smith — Characteristic letter of Lincoln — Chase to Lincoln about Hooker, Halleck, and Heintzelman — Letters to the author about Sergeant Ernest Warden — Chase's account of his hostility to Slavery — Charges against Mr. Clark — Conference with Mc- Culloch — Grant and Banks — Messrs. Mellen and Risley — Conversation with Hon. John Covode — Chase declares that he prefers the Chief Justiceship to the Presidency — Chase and Curtin — Chase's confidence in Mr. Mellen — The Bankers and the Treasury — Chase and Shellabarger — Conversation with Mr. Fox — Talk with Secretary Stanton — Stanton on Rosecrans — Mr. Wright, of California — Chase on Presidential Candidature — Will make no promises.

CHAPTER XXXIX. Martial Measures and Financial Measures — Habeas Corpus 537

Committee from St. Louis — Opening of the Mississippi — Western trade — Mr. Barnitz — Gen. Schenck and the Milroy court of inquiry — Mr. Risley and the trade regulations — Gov. Pierpont on Virginia affairs — Draft of a letter prepared for him by Secretary Chase — Exceptions in the Proclamation — Judge Whitaker, of New Orleans — Things in Louisiana — Conversation about affairs in Maryland — Swann and Davis — Judge Taft and Mr. French, of Cincinnati — Talk about. Ohio politics — Mr. Bates in Cabinet Meeting — Restrictions on trade — Banks and Grant — Stanton— Talk with Theodore Tilton — Mr. Heaton — Emancipation sentiment in North Carolina — Mr. Stickney — Florida and Morris Island — Saxton and Gilmore — Galloway and Chase — Ohio affairs — Galloway a poor politician — Talk with Lincoln about trade regulations — Lincoln to Andrew Johnson — Stanton, Fox, and Halleck — About reducing Charleston — Burnside's resignation — Not accepted — Halleck on affairs in Tennessee — Rosecrans and Burnside — Stanton and Chase — Chase and Lincoln — Gov. Andrew breakfasts with Mr. Chase — They visit the President and meet Stanton — Lincoln on desertion and habeas corpus — Chase's views of jurisdiction — Mr. Usher — Judge Blair's views — Seward's — Stanton wants prompt action — Mr. Chase and Mr. Maunsell B. Field — Financial matters — Mr. Sumner's speech characterized by Chase in a letter to that gentleman — Callers — Jay Cooke's agency — Varieties — Talk

CONTENTS. XV

with Lincoln — Stanton's account of a "curious circumstance" — The navy yard and the camp — Welles and Stanton — Stanton's offer — Apprehensions as to Rosecrans' condition — Telegrams from "Rosy" — Thomas — Letter to M. Halstead — Wrong in blaming Stanton — Meeting of the Heads — Thomas, Granger, and Garfield — Schurz on testimonial to McClellan — Stanton and Chase think it an insult to the President, who promises to see about it — Rosecrans' critical condition — Conference with Halleck — Remarkable catechism— Lincoln's bet — Stanton's rebuke — Halleck's view of the situation — Force of Meade— Chase at Baltimore — Visit to Mr. Hopkins — His grounds described by Chase — Dress parade of a colored regiment — Note from Lincoln — Mrs. Lincoln's numerous cousins — To Gettysburg — Note from the President — Chase to Hooker — Chase on Grant and Hooker.

CHAPTER XL. Chase and Barney — Trouble between Chase and Lincoln 656

Lincoln to Chase about Barney — Remarkable letter from Chase to Lincoln on the same subject, and about Chase's own life and character— About Jay Cooke, Henry 1). Cooke, and a biographic sketch — Henry's subscription on account of the same — A.n important explanation — Disclosure of a letter to Hiram Barney — Improper relations between Chase and Barney — Warning against injustice to the former — More about Mr. Maunsell B. Field and his book — Lincoln and Barney — Indicative letter to Mr. I. T. Bailey — Letter to Hon. J. C. Hall, about Presidential candidature — Life at home — Mr. and Mrs. Sprague — Letter to Mrs. Walbridge — Letter to Miss Susan Walker — The Monroe Doctrine as received by Chase — Letter to Dr. Leavitt — Emancipation in Tennessee — Letter to Mr. J. B. Bingham — Letter to Judge-Col. Key — Allusion to McClellan — Presidential candidature — Letter to Prof. Granert — Letter to Wayne McVeigh, Esq., about the prosecution of the war — Letter to Judge Dickson — The Administration — Foreshadowing of resignation — Letter to Wm. H. Kincaid, Esq., on the financial situation — Letter to Hon. E. D. Mansfield — Waste of blood and treasure— Letter to Thomas Heaton, Esq., referring, in part, to the Presidency — About buying out the Times — Letter to Miss Nettie Chase — Letter to Edward L. Pierce — Mrs. Howe and Mrs. Sprague — Mr. Sumner — Wendell Phillips' invective — Letter to Edward Gilbert, Esq. — Slanderers and revilers — Charming letter to Mrs. S. E. Eastman— Letter to Hon. W. D. Lindsay — The Presidency — Mr. Delano — Curious letter to Archbishop Purcell — Letter to Hon. Flamen Ball — Mr. Trowbridge's biography — Signs of the times— Chase on Lincoln and the Blairs — The Gazette and Mr. Carson— Letter to Mr. J. W. Hartwell— To Geo. S. Hale, Esq. — To Pliny Freeman, Esq — To Dr. Fuller— More about buying out the Times — Letter to Thomas Heaton, Esq. — Advice — Important letter from the President — Barney and the N. Y. Custom House — " A man by the name of Baily" — Investigating Committee — A little note from Lincoln to Chase — Another — Allusion to Chase's illness — Still another note from the President — " Rascal catching" — Very important letter from Chase to the President — The Pomeroy letter — Chase's Presidential candidature — Tribute to the President— Brief response of Lincoln, promising a fuller answer — Eminently creditable letter of the President in compliance with that promise— Corwin and Johnston on Chase — Warning against injustice to the latter — Lincoln