April 1863 provided a brief respite for the weary president. With Congress in adjournment and preparations for the spring campaign well underway, Lincoln gathered a small entourage aboard the Carrie Martin and sailed down the Potomac River to visit the headquarters of General Joseph Hooker. To his delight, he found the Army of the Potomac in excellent condition. Morale had been rebuilt, as is evident in this drawing by Civil War artist Edwin Forbes. However, whatever reassurance Lincoln gained from his review of the Union cavalry may have been offset by talk of flanking Lee’s army to get to Richmond.