You just listen
to me. I don't wear any uniform, but I've got eyes to see and ears to
hear. I suppose that more monumental foolishness has been hidden under
cocked hats and gold lace than under anything else, since the world
began. Easy now, I don't say that fools are not more numerous outside
armies than in them--there are more people outside--but the mistakes of
generals are more costly."
"I suppose our generals are doing the best they can. You will let me
speak plainly, will you, Mr. Watson?"
"Of course, young man. Go ahead."
"Perhaps you feel badly over a disaster of your own. I saw the smoking
fires at Bristoe Station. The rebels burned there several million
dollars worth of stores belonging to us. Maybe a large part of them
were your own goods."
The contractor rubbed his huge knee with one hand, took his cigar out of
his mouth with the other hand, blew several rings of fine blue smoke from
his nose, and watched them break against the ceiling.
"Young man," he said, "you're a good guesser, but you don't guess all.
More than a million dollars worth of material that I supplied was
burned or looted at Bristoe Station.
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