April 6. — I went over to General Sickles’s headquarters this morning with a letter from General Benham in regard to the difficulty of passing our picket line. General S. sent his compliments to General Benham, and said he would issue a general order on the subject. After leaving there, I went over to the cavalry review of General Stoneman’s corps. It was a fine sight, and almost every one who had a horse was present. As the President came in sight he was saluted with the usual number of guns. General Steinwehr, Major-General Sickles, Meade, Reynolds, Hooker, and Slocum, and Brigadier Generals Pratt, Kane, etc., were present. I saw Waldo Merriam, Scott,[1] Phillips, Martin,[2] Colonel Vincent, and numerous other friends of mine there. Five hundred of our brigade were out on fatigue duty, clearing a space for the infantry review to-morrow.
The President looked very thin and pale, so much so that many people remarked that there was a fair chance of Hamlin being our President soon. We had brigade guard-mounting for the first time to-clay, and I officiated as assistant adjutant-general. A few days’ experience will make the whole thing go off quite successfully. In the evening I went over to General Hooker’s headquarters.
[1] Henry B. Scott, my classmate.
[2] Augustus P. Martin.
