The Unpopular History of the United States
can to put it down. Neither you, nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army while such a spirit prevails in it. And now beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
Politics and demagoguery contributed their sinister influence to weaken the forces in the field. It grew and blossomed and bore evil fruit. Various states assumed the care of their own sick and wounded by sending agents to the front and bringing home the soldiers, causing hundreds of deaths, against the advice and over the protest of military surgeons. Thousands of men who were slightly ill, and thousands of malingerers, were provided an easy means to get entirely out of the service. Had they remained at the front, in care of regimental surgeons, most of them would have been returned to duty in a few days.
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