Inquisitiveness Nonplussed.

Mr. Lincoln as a very effective way sometimes of dealing with men who trouble him with questions.  Some body asked him how many men the rebels had in the field.  He replied very seriously, “Twelve hundred thousand, according to the best authority.”  The interrogator blanched in the face, and ejaculated, “My God”  “Yes, sir; twelve hundred thousand—no doubt of it.  You see, all of our generals, when they get whipped, say the enemy outnumbers them from three or five to one, and I must believe them.  We have four hundred thousand men in the field, and three times four makes twelve.  Don’t you see it?”  The inquisitive man looked for his  hat soon after “seeing it.”

When the Sherman expedition which captured Port Royal was fitting out, there was great curiosity to learn where it had gone.  A person visiting the chief magistrate at the White house importuned him to disclose the destination to him.  “Will you keep it entirely secret?” asked the President.  “Oh, yes, upon my honor.”  “Well,” said the President, “I’ll tell you.”  Assuming an air of great mystery, and drawing the man close to him, he kept him a moment awaiting the revelation with an open mouth and great anxiety.  “Well,” said he in a loud whisper, which was heard all over the room, “the expedition has gone to sea!”

When General Banks was fitting out his expedition to New Orleans it will be remembered that he used to answer all questions as to his destination with great frankness by saying that it was going south.

SOURCE: New York Daily Herald, New York, New York, Friday, February 19, 1864, p. 5, and copied from the New York Evening Post, New York, New York, Wednesday, February 17, 1864.