EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 18, 1864. 11.25 A.M.
MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN, Chattahoochee River, Georgia:
I have seen your despatches objecting to agents of Northern States opening
recruiting stations near your camps. An act of Congress authorizes this,
giving the appointment of agents to the States, and not to the Executive
Government. It is not for the War Department, or myself, to restrain
or modify the law, in its execution, further than actual necessity may
require. To be candid, I was for the passage of the law, not apprehending
at the time that it would produce such inconvenience to the armies in the
field as you now cause me to fear. Many of the States were very anxious
for it, and I hoped that, with their State bounties, and active exertions,
they would get out substantial additions to our colored forces, which,
unlike white recruits, help us where they come from, as well as where they
go to. I still hope advantage from the law; and being a law, it must be
treated as such by all of us. We here will do what we consistently can to
save you from difficulties arising out of it. May I ask, therefore, that
you will give your hearty co-operation.
A. LINCOLN.
ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING TERMS OF PEACE.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, July 18, 1864.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Any proposition which embraces the restoration of peace, the integrity of
the whole Union, and the abandonment of slavery, and which comes by and
with an authority that can control the armies now at war against the
United States, will be received and considered by the Executive
Government of the United States, and will be met by liberal terms on other
substantial and collateral points; and the bearer or bearers thereof shall
have safe conduct both ways.
A. LINCOLN.
PROCLAMATION CALLING FOR FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS,
JULY 18, 1864,
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
A Proclamation.
Whereas by the act approved July 4, 1864, entitled "An act further to
regulate and provide for the enrolling and calling out the national forces
and for other purposes," it is provided that the President of the United
States may, "at his discretion, at any time hereafter, call for any number
of men, as volunteers for the respective terms of one, two, and three
years for military service," and "that in case the quota or any part
thereof of any town, township, ward of a city, precinct, or election
district, or of a county not so subdivided, shall not be filled within the
space of fifty days after such call, then the President shall immediately
order a draft for one year to fill such quota or any part thereof which
may be unfilled;" and
Whereas the new enrolment heretofore ordered is so far completed as
that the aforementioned act of Congress may now be put in operation for
recruiting and keeping up the strength of the armies in the field, for
garrisons, and such military operations as may be required for the purpose
of suppressing the rebellion and restoring the authority of the United
States Government in the insurgent States:
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do
issue this my last call for five hundred thousand volunteers for the
military service: Provided, nevertheless, That this call shall be reduced
by all credits which may be established under section eight of the
aforesaid act on account of persons who have entered the naval service
during the present rebellion and by credits for men furnished to the
military service in excess of calls heretofore made. Volunteers will be
accepted under this call for one, two, or three years, as they may elect,
and will be entitled to the bounty provided by the law for the period of
services for which they enlist.
And I hereby proclaim, order, and direct that immediately after the 5th
day of September, 1864, being fifty days from the date of this call,
a draft for troops to serve for one year shall be had in every town,
township, ward of a city, precinct, or election district, or county not
so subdivided, to fill the quota which shall be assigned to it under this
call or any part thereof which may be unfilled by volunteers on the said
5th day of September, 1864.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this 18th day of July, A.D. 1864, and of
the independence of the United States the eighty-ninth.
A. LINCOLN.
By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U.S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 20, 1864. 4.30 p.m.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, City Point, Va.:
Yours of yesterday, about a call for three hundred thousand, is received.
I suppose you had not seen the call for five hundred thousand, made the
day before, and which, I suppose, covers the case. Always glad to have
your suggestions.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO J. L. WRIGHT.
WAR DEPARTMENT, JULY. 20, 1864.
J. L. WRIGHT, Indianapolis, Ind.:
All a mistake. Mr. Stanton has not resigned.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL D. HUNTER. (Cipher.)
WAR DEPARTMENT, JULY 23, 1864.
MAJOR-GENERAL HUNTER, Harper's Ferry, West Va.
Are you able to take care of the enemy, when he turns back upon you, as he
probably will on finding that Wright has left?
A. LINCOLN.
TO GOVERNOR CURTIN, ENCLOSING A LETTER TO WILLIAM O. SNIDER.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 25, 1864.
GOVERNOR CURTIN:
Herewith is the manuscript letter for the gentleman who sent me a cane
through your hands. For my life I cannot make out his name; and therefore
I cut it from his letter and pasted it on, as you see. I suppose [sic]
will remember who he is, and I will thank you to forward him the letter.
He dates his letter at Philadelphia.
Yours truly,
A. LINCOLN.
PRESENTATION OF A CANE
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 25, 1864.
WILLIAM O. SNIDER:
The cane you did me the honor to present through Governor Curtin was duly
placed in my hand by him. Please accept my thanks; and, at the same time,
pardon me for not having sooner found time to tender them. Your obedient
servant,
A. LINCOLN.
FROM JOHN HAY TO J. C. WELLING.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON. July 25, 1864.
J. C. WELLING, ESQ.
SIR:--According to the request contained in your note, I have placed Mr.
Gibson's letter of resignation in the hands of the President. He has read
the letter, and says he accepts the resignation, as he will be glad to
do with any other, which may be tendered, as this is, for the purpose of
taking an attitude of hostility against him.
He says he was not aware that he was so much indebted to Mr. Gibson for
having accepted the office at first, not remembering that he ever pressed
him to do so, or that he gave it otherwise than as was usual, upon request
made on behalf of Mr. Gibson.
He thanks Mr. Gibson for his acknowledgment that he has been treated with
personal kindness and consideration, and says he knows of but two small
drawbacks upon Mr. Gibson's right to still receive such treatment, one
of which is that he never could learn of his giving much attention to
the duties of his office, and the other is this studied attempt of Mr.
Gibson's to stab him.
I am very truly,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN HAY.
TO COLONEL, FIRST N. Y. VETERAN CAVALRY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, JULY 25, 1864.
Thomas Connor, a private in the First Veteran New York Cavalry, is now
imprisoned at hard labor for desertion. If the Colonel of said Regiment
will say in writing on this sheets that he is willing to receive him back
to the Regiment, I will pardon, and send him.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN.
WASHINGTON, July 26, 1864. 2.30 P.M.
MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN, near Atlanta:
I have just seen yours complaining of the appointment of Hovey and
Osterhaus. The point you make is unquestionably a good one, and yet
please hear a word from us. My recollection is that both General Grant
and yourself recommended both H [ovey] and O [sterhaus] for promotion, and
these, with other strong recommendations, drew committals from us which we
could neither honorably or safely disregard. We blamed H [ovey] for coming
away in the manner in which he did, but he knew he had apparent reason to
feel disappointed and mortified, and we felt it was not best to crush one
who certainly had been a good soldier. As to [Osterhaus], we did not know
of his leaving at the time we made the appointment, and do not now
know the terms on which he left. Not to have appointed him, as the case
appeared to us at the time, would have been almost, if not quite, a
violation of our word. The word was given on what we thought was high
merit and somewhat on his nationality. I beg you to believe we do not act
in a spirit of disregarding merit. We expect to await your programme for
further changes and promotions in your army. My profoundest thanks to you
and your whole army for the present campaign so far.
A. LINCOLN.
FROM SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL HALLECK.
WASHINGTON CITY, July 27, 1864
MAJOR-GENERAL HALLECK, Chief of Staff of the Army:
GENERAL:--Lieutenant-General Grant having signified that, owing to the
difficulties and delay of communication between his headquarters and
Washington, it is necessary that in the present emergency military orders
must be issued directly from Washington, the President directs me to
instruct you that all the military operations for the defense of the
Middle Department, the Department of the Susquehanna, the Department of
Washington, and the Department of West Virginia, and all the forces in
those departments, are placed under your general command, and that you
will be expected to take all military measures necessary for defense
against any attack of the enemy and for his capture and destruction.
You will issue from time to time such orders to the commanders of the
respective departments and to the military authorities therein as may be
proper.
Your obedient servant,
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR JOHNSON. WASHINGTON, July 27, 1864.
GOVERNOR JOHNSON, Nashville, Tennessee:
Yours in relation to General A. C. Gillam just received. Will look after
the matter to-day.
I also received yours about General Carl Schurz. I appreciate him
certainly, as highly as you do; but you can never know until you have the
trial, how difficult it is to find a place for an officer of so high rank
when there is no place seeking him.
A. LINCOLN.
TO Mrs. ANNE WILLIAMSON,
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 29, 1864.
Mrs. ANNE WILLIAMSON.
MADAM:--The plaid you send me is just now placed in my hands. I thank you
for that pretty and useful present, but still more for those good wishes
for myself and our country, which prompted you to present it.
Your obedient servant,
A. LINCOLN.
INDORSEMENT, AUGUST 3, 1864.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, August 2, 1864.
MR. PRESIDENT:--This note will introduce to you Mr. Schley of Baltimore,
who desires to appeal to you for the revocation of an order of General
Hunter, removing some persons, citizens of Frederick, beyond his lines,
and imprisoning others. This Department has no information of the reasons
or proofs on which General Hunter acts, and I do not therefore feel
at liberty to suspend or interfere with his action except under your
direction.
Yours truly,
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
[Indorsement.]
August 3, 1864.
The Secretary of War will suspend the order of General Hunter mentioned
within, until further order and direct him to send to the Department a
brief report of what is known against each one proposed to be dealt with.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U, S. GRANT.
(Cipher.)
WASHINGTON, D. C.. August 3, 1864
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, City Point, Va.:
I have seen your despatch in which you say, "I want Sheridan put in
command of all the troops in the field, with instructions to put himself
south of the enemy, and follow him to the death. Wherever the enemy goes,
let our troops go also."
This, I think, is exactly right as to how our forces should move; but
please look over the despatches you may have received from here, ever
since you made that order, and discover, if you can, that there is any
idea in the head of any one here of "putting our army south of the enemy,"
or of following him to the "death," in any direction. I repeat to you,
it will neither be done nor attempted, unless you watch it every day and
hour, and force it.
A. LINCOLN.
[Here the President was mistaken in thinking that Sherman,
Sheridan, and Grant had the same inability of most of his
previous general officers. No one needed to watch Grant or
Sherman or Sheridan, they only needed to get out of their
way. D.W.]
TELEGRAM TO HORACE GREELEY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 6, 1864
HON. HORACE GREELEY, New York:
Yours to Major Hay about publication of our correspondence received. With
the suppression of a few passages in your letters in regard to which I
think you and I would not disagree, I should be glad of the publication.
Please come over and see me.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO HORACE GREELEY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 8, 1864
HON. HORACE GREELEY, New York:
I telegraphed you Saturday. Did you receive the despatch? Please answer.
A. LINCOLN.
ON DISLOYAL FAMILY MEMBER
TO GENERAL S. O. BURBRIDGE.
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 8, 1864
MAJOR-GENERAL BURBRIDGE, Lexington, Ky.:
Last December Mrs. Emily T. Helm, half-sister of Mrs. Lincoln, and widow
of the rebel general, Ben Hardin Helm, stopped here on her way from
Georgia to Kentucky, and I gave her a paper, as I remember, to protect her
against the mere fact of her being General Helm's widow. I hear a rumor
to-day that you recently sought to arrest her, but were prevented by her
presenting the paper from me. I do not intend to protect her against the
consequences of disloyal words or acts, spoken or done by her since her
return to Kentucky, and if the paper given her by me can be construed
to give her protection for such words and acts, it is hereby revoked pro
tanto. Deal with her for current conduct just as you would with any other.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U. S. GRANT.
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 14, 1864. 1.30 P.M.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, City Point, Va.:
The Secretary of War and I concur that you had better confer with General
Lee, and stipulate for a mutual discontinuance of house-burning and other
destruction of private property. The time and manner of conference and
particulars of stipulation we leave, on our part, to your convenience and
judgment.
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., August 15,1864.
MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN, near Atlanta, Ga.:
If the Government should purchase, on its own account, cotton northward of
you, and on the line of your communications, would it be an inconvenience
to you, or detriment to the military service, for it to come to the north
on the railroad?
A. LINCOLN.
INTERVIEW WITH JOHN T. MILLS,
AUGUST [15?], 1864.
"Mr. President," said Governor Randall, "why can't you seek seclusion, and
play hermit for a fortnight? It would reinvigorate you."
"Ah," said the President, "two or three weeks would do me no good. I
cannot fly from my thoughts--my solicitude for this great country follows
me wherever I go. I do not think it is personal vanity or ambition, though
I am not free from these infirmities, but I cannot but feel that the
weal or woe of this great nation will be decided in November. There is no
program offered by any wing of the Democratic party but that must result
in the permanent destruction of the Union."
"But, Mr. President, General McClellan is in favor of crushing out this
rebellion by force. He will be the Chicago candidate."
"Sir, the slightest knowledge of arithmetic will prove to any man that
the rebel armies cannot be destroyed by Democratic strategy. It would
sacrifice all the white men of the North to do it. There are now in
the service of the United States nearly one hundred and fifty thousand
able-bodied colored men, most of them under arms, defending and acquiring
Union territory. The Democratic strategy demands that these forces be
disbanded, and that the masters be conciliated by restoring them to
slavery. The black men who now assist Union prisoners to escape are to be
converted into our enemies, in the vain hope of gaining the good-will of
their masters. We shall have to fight two nations instead of one.
"You cannot conciliate the South if you guarantee to them ultimate
success; and the experience of the present war proves their success is
inevitable if you fling the compulsory labor of millions of black men
into their side of the scale. Will you give our enemies such military
advantages as insure success, and then depend on coaxing, flattery, and
concession to get them back into the Union? Abandon all the posts now
garrisoned by black men, take one hundred and fifty thousand men from our
side and put them in the battle-field or corn-field against us, and we
would be compelled to abandon the war in three weeks.
"We have to hold territory in inclement and sickly places; where are the
Democrats to do this? It was a free fight, and the field was open to the
war Democrats to put down this rebellion by fighting against both master
and slave, long before the present policy was inaugurated.
"There have been men base enough to propose to me to return to slavery the
black warriors of Port Hudson and Olustee, and thus win the respect of the
masters they fought. Should I do so, I should deserve to be damned in time
and eternity. Come what will, I will keep my faith with friend and foe.
My enemies pretend I am now carrying on this war for the sole purpose of
abolition. So long as I am President, it shall be carried on for the
sole purpose of restoring the Union. But no human power can subdue this
rebellion without the use of the emancipation policy, and every other
policy calculated to weaken the moral and physical forces of the
rebellion.
"Freedom has given us one hundred and fifty thousand men, raised on
Southern soil. It will give us more yet. Just so much it has subtracted
from the enemy, and, instead of alienating the South, there are now
evidences of a fraternal feeling growing up between our men and the rank
and file of the rebel soldiers. Let my enemies prove to the country that
the destruction of slavery is not necessary to a restoration of the Union.
I will abide the issue."
ENDORSEMENT OF APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT, AUGUST 15, 1864.
I am always for the man who wishes to work; and I shall be glad for this
man to get suitable employment at Cavalry Depot, or elsewhere.
A. LINCOLN.
TO H. J. RAYMOND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION WASHINGTON, August 15, 1864
HON. HENRY J. RAYMOND.
MY DEAR SIR:--I have proposed to Mr. Greeley that the Niagara
correspondence be published, suppressing only the parts of his letters
over which the red pencil is drawn in the copy which I herewith send. He
declines giving his consent to the publication of his letters unless these
parts be published with the rest. I have concluded that it is better for
me to submit, for the time, to the consequences of the false position
in which I consider he has placed me, than to subject the country to the
consequences of publishing these discouraging and injurious parts. I send
you this, and the accompanying copy, not for publication, but merely to
explain to you, and that you may preserve them until their proper time
shall come.
Yours truly,
A. LINCOLN.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 17, 1864.
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, City Point, Va.:
I have seen your despatch expressing your unwillingness to break your hold
where you are. Neither am I willing. Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew
and choke as much as possible.
A. LINCOLN.
PROCLAMATION CONCERNING COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS, AUGUST 18, 1864.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
A Proclamation.
Whereas the act of Congress of the 28th of September, 1850, entitled "An
act to create additional collection districts in the State of California,
and to change the existing districts therein, and to modify the existing
collection districts in the United States," extends to merchandise
warehoused under bond the privilege of being exported to the British North
American provinces adjoining the United States, in the manner prescribed
in the act of Congress of the 3d of March, 1845, which designates certain
frontier ports through which merchandise may be exported, and further
provides "that such other ports, situated on the frontiers of the United
States adjoining the British North American provinces, as may hereafter
be found expedient, may have extended to them the like privileges, on the
recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury, and proclamation duly
made by the President of the United States, specially designating the
ports to which the aforesaid privileges are to be extended."
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of
America, in accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary of the
Treasury, do hereby declare and proclaim that the port of Newport, in the
State of Vermont, is and shall be entitled to all the privileges in regard
to the exportation of merchandise in bond to the British North American
provinces adjoining the United States, which are extended to the ports
enumerated in the seventh section of the act of Congress of the 3d of
March, 1845, aforesaid, from and after the date of this proclamation.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this
eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four, and of the independence of the United States of
America, the eighty-ninth.
A. LINCOLN.
By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
INDORSEMENT CONCERNING AN EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS, AUGUST 18, 1864.
If General Hitchcock can effect a special exchange of Thomas D. Armesy,
now under conviction as a spy, or something of the sort, and in prison
at for Major Nathan Goff, made a prisoner of war, and now in prison at
Richmond, let it be done.
A. LINCOLN.
ADDRESS TO THE 164TH OHIO REGIMENT,
AUGUST 18, 1864.
SOLDIERS:--You are about to return to your homes and your friends, after
having, as I learn, performed in camp a comparatively short term of duty
in this great contest. I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who
have come forward at the call of their country. I wish it might be more
generally and universally understood what the country is now engaged in.
We have, as all will agree, a free government, where every man has a right
to be equal with every other man. In this great struggle, this form of
government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies
succeed. There is more involved in this contest than is realized by
every one. There is involved in this struggle, the question whether your
children and my children shall enjoy the privileges we have enjoyed. I say
this, in order to impress upon you, if you are not already so impressed,
that no small matter should divert us from our great purpose.
There may be some inequalities in the practical application of our system.
It is fair that each man shall pay taxes in exact proportion to the value
of his property; but if we should wait, before collecting a tax, to adjust
the taxes upon each man in exact proportion with every other man, we
should never collect any tax at all. There may be mistakes made sometimes;
and things may be done wrong, while the officers of the Government do all
they can to prevent mistakes. But I beg of you, as citizens of this great
Republic, not to let your minds be carried off from the great work we have
before us. This struggle is too large for you to be diverted from it by
any small matter. When you return to your homes, rise up to the height of
a generation of men worthy of a free government, and we will carry out the
great work we have commenced. I return to you my sincere thanks, soldiers,
for the honor you have done me this afternoon.
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL BUTLER. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., August
20, 1864.
MAJOR-GENERAL BUTLER, Bermuda Hundred, Va.: