President Lincoln received the following pertinent letter from an indignant private, which speaks for itself: "Dear President I have been in the service eighteen months, and 1 have never received a cent. I desire a furlough for fifteen days, in order to return home and remove my family to the poor house/ The President granted the furlough. It's a good story and true.

From Old Abe's Jokes: Fresh from Abraham's Bosom.