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144 •LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNHe led what he called "<strong>the</strong> finest army on <strong>the</strong> planet" againstLee. He had twice as many men as <strong>the</strong> Confederates, but Leehurled him back across <strong>the</strong> river at Chancellorsville and destroyedseventeen thousand of his troops.It was one of <strong>the</strong> most disastrous defeats of <strong>the</strong> war.Itoccurred in May, 1863; and <strong>the</strong> President's secretary recordsthat he heard <strong>the</strong> tramp of <strong>Lincoln</strong>'s feet during allterrible hours of sleepless nights as he paced up and down hisroom, crying, "Lost! Lost! All is lost!" Finally, however, hewent down to Fredericksburg to cheer up "Fighting Joe" andencourage <strong>the</strong> army.<strong>Lincoln</strong> was denounced bitterly for all this futile slaughter;and gloom and discouragement settled over <strong>the</strong> nation.And quickly on top of <strong>the</strong>se military sorrows, came a domestictragedy. <strong>Lincoln</strong> was inordinately fond of his two littlesons, Tad and Willie. He often stole away, on a summer evening,to play "town ball" with <strong>the</strong>m, his coat-tails flying out behindhim as he ran from base to base. Sometimes, he wouldshoot marbles with <strong>the</strong>m all <strong>the</strong> way from <strong>the</strong> White House to<strong>the</strong> war-office. At night he loved to get down on <strong>the</strong> floor androll and romp with <strong>the</strong>m. On bright, warm days he would sometimesgo out back of <strong>the</strong> White House and play with <strong>the</strong> boysand <strong>the</strong>ir two goats.Tad and Willie kept <strong>the</strong> White House in an uproar, organizingminstrel shows, putting <strong>the</strong> servants through military drill,running in and out among <strong>the</strong> office-seekers. If <strong>the</strong>y took a fancyto a certain applicant, <strong>the</strong>y would see that he got in to see "OldAbe" immediately. If <strong>the</strong>y couldn't get him in <strong>the</strong> front way,<strong>the</strong>y knew of back entrances.With as little respect for ceremony and precedent as <strong>the</strong>irfa<strong>the</strong>r had, <strong>the</strong>y dashed in and interrupted a Cabinet meetingonce to inform <strong>the</strong> President that <strong>the</strong> cat in <strong>the</strong> basement hadjust had kittens.On ano<strong>the</strong>r occasion <strong>the</strong> stern Salmon P. Chase was irritatedand disgusted because Tad climbed all over his fa<strong>the</strong>r and finallyperched on his shoulder and sat astride of his neck while Chasewas discussing <strong>the</strong> grave financial situation that confronted <strong>the</strong>country.Some one gave Willie a pony. He insisted on riding it in allkinds of winter wea<strong>the</strong>r; so he got wet and chilled and camedown with a severe cold. Soon it had become a serious fever.Night after night <strong>Lincoln</strong> sat for hours by his bedside; and<strong>the</strong>