 When General Ulysses S. Grant rejected General Henry Halleck's suggestion to remove troops from the siege of Petersburg in 1864, the President lent this support after reading their communications. Hold on with the bulldog grip and chew and choke as much as possible. To Lincoln, the Telegraph Office was not just a 19th century command center, but a sanctuary from the throngs who descended upon the White House every day in search of jobs and favors.