Hardtack Better Than Generals
Secretary of War Stanton told the President the following story, which greatly amused the latter, as he was especially fond of a joke at the expense of some high military or civil dignitary.
Stanton had little or no sense of humor.
When Secretary Stanton was making a trip up the Broad River in North Carolina, in a tugboat, a Federal picket yelled out, “What have you got on board of that tug?”
The severe and dignified answer was, “The Secretary of War and Major-General Foster.”
Instantly the picket roared back, “We’ve got major-generals enough up here. Why don’t you bring us up some hardtack?”