_Washington, January 24, 1868_.
His Excellency A. JOHNSON,
_President of the United States_.
SIR: I have the honor very respectfully to request to have in writing
the order which the President gave me verbally on Sunday, the 19th
instant, to disregard the orders of the Hon. E.M. Stanton as Secretary
of War until I knew from the President himself that they were his
orders.