Lincoln, the unknown

27W.e must retrace our steps now, for I want to tell you of anamazing thing that happened shortly before the fall of Richmond—anincident that gives one a vivid picture of the domesticmiseries that Lincoln endured in silence for almost aquarter of a century.It happened near Grant's headquarters. The general had invitedMr. and Mrs. Lincoln to spend a week with him near thefront.They were glad to come, for the President was almost exhausted.He hadn't had a vacation since he entered the WhiteHouse, and he was eager to get away from the throng of officeseekerswho were harassing him once more at the opening ofhis second term.So he and Mrs. Lincoln boarded the River Queen and sailedaway down the Potomac, through the lower reaches of ChesapeakeBay, past old Point Comfort, and up the James River toCity Point. There, high on a bluff, two hundred feet above thewater, sat the ex-hide-buyer from Galena, smoking and whittling.A few days later the President's party was joined by a distinguishedgroup of people from Washington, including M.GeorTroi, the French minister. Naturally the visitors were eagerto see the battle lines of the Army of the Potomac, twelve milesaway; so the next day they set out upon the excursion—themen on horseback, Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grant following ina half-open carriage.197