Ulysses Grant, American general in supreme command under President Lincoln in the Civil War, was notorious for his intemperance, many complaints of which were sent to Lincoln.
One day, a delegation headed by a distinguished doctor of divinity from New York called upon Lincoln and made the familiar protest against Grant being retained in his command. After the clergyman had concluded his remarks, Lincoln asked if any others desired to add anything to what had already been said. They replied they did not.
Then looking as serious as he could Lincoln said: "Doctor, can you tell me where General Grant gets his liquor?"
The doctor seemed quite nonplussed, but replied that he could not.
Lincoln then said to him: "I am very sorry, for if you could tell me I would direct the chief quartermaster of the army to lay in a large stock of the same kind of liquor, and would also direct him to furnish a supply to some of my other generals who have never yet won a victory."
美國南北戰爭期間，林肯總統之下，統帥北軍的，是攸里西斯．格蘭特將軍。他有貪杯的惡名，不少人都向林肯批評他沈酗於酒。
有一天，紐約一個代表團，由一著名神學博士率領，往謁林肯，同樣向林肯表示不滿格蘭特續任軍隊統帥。林肯待那教士說罷，問其他人對格蘭特還有什麼批評，大家都說沒有。
林肯於是裝出非常認真的樣子，問道：「博士，你知不知道，格蘭特的酒從那裏買來？」
那神學博士似乎大為錯愕，回答說不知道。
林肯就對他說：「這真可惜。假如你知道，我會叫總軍需官多儲存那種酒，並叫他送一些給從未打過勝仗的將領。」