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North Carolina, and General Ullman was organizing colored regiments in Louisiana.
Major Stearns's labors were brought to a close in February, 1864, by the eccentric conduct of Secretary Stanton,--the reason for which has never been explained.
He obtained leave of absence to return to Boston at Christmas time, and after a brief visit to his family went to Washington and called upon the Secretary of War, who declined to see him three days in succession.
On the evening of the fourth day he met Mr. Stanton at an evening party and Stanton said to him in his roughest manner: “Major Stearns, why are you not in Tennessee?”
This was a breach of official etiquette on the part of the Secretary of War and Major Stearns sent in his resignation at once.
His reason for doing so, however, was not so much on account of this personal slight as from the conclusion that he had accomplished all that was essential to be done in this line.
His chief assistant at Nashville, Capt. R. D. Muzzey, was an able man and perfectly competent to run the machine which Mr. Stearns had constructed.
The importance of his work cannot readily be measured.
It was no longer easy to obtain white volunteers.
With a population ten millions less than that of France, the Northern States were maintaining an army much larger than the one which accompanied Napoleon to
1905. E. P. DUtton and Co. Boston,.
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