62 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



success when working for himself. He knew ten 

 times as much about the business as I did, and 

 yet he had not succeeded in an independent 

 position. Some quality, like broadness of mind 

 or directness of purpose, was lacking, which 

 made him incapable of carrying out a plan, no 

 matter how well conceived. He was like Hooker 

 at Chancellorsville, whose plan of campaign was 

 perfect, whose orders were carried out with 

 exactness, whose army fell into line as he wished, 

 and whose enemy did the obvious thing, yet who 

 failed terribly because the responsibility of the 

 ultimate was greater than he could bear. As 

 second in command, or as corps leader, he was 

 superb ; in independent command he was a dis- 

 astrous failure. 



Thompson, then, was a Joe Hooker on a re- 

 duced plane, good only to execute another 

 man's plans. Thompson might have rebutted 

 this by saying that I too might prove a disas- 

 trous failure ; that as yet I had shown only 

 ability to spend, perhaps not always wisely. 

 Such rebuttal would have had weight seven 

 years ago, but it would not be accepted to-day, 

 for I have made my campaign and won my 

 battle. The record of the past seven years 

 shows that I can plan and also execute. 



Thompson told me that he had found two 

 woodsmen (by scouting around on Sunday) who 

 were glad to take the job of cutting the white- 

 oak posts at five cents each, and that they were 



