To her father in 1853, she wrote another characteristic letter which affords a glimpse of the experience in “managing” people she was getting at this time, and which was later to be most helpful in her great task of helping to reorganize the affairs of the army hospitals. In this letter, she says:
“You ask for my observations upon my line of statesmanship. I have been so very busy that I have scarcely made any resume in my own mind.
“When I entered into service here, I determined that, happen what would, I never would intrigue among the committees. Now I perceive that I do all my business by intrigue. I propose in private to A, B or C, the resolution I think A, B or C most capable of carrying in committee, and then leave it to them, and I always win. * * * I have observed that the opinions of others concerning you depend not at all, or very little, upon what you are, but upon what they are.
“Last General Committee I executed a series of Resolutions on five subjects and presented them as coming from medical men:
“1. That the successor to our house surgeon (resigned) should be a dispenser, thus saving our bill at the druggists of 150 pounds per annum.
“2. A series of House Rules, of which I send you the rough copy.
“3. A series of resolutions about not keeping patients.
“4. A complete revolution as to diet, which is shamefully abused at present.
“5. An advertisement for the Institution.
“All these I proposed and carried in committee without telling them that they came from me, and not from the medical men; and then, and not till then, I showed them to the medical men, without telling them that they were already passed in committee.