Eliza P. Gurney.
My esteemed Friend: I have not forgotten —
probably never shall forget — the very impressive
occasion when yourself and friends visited me
on a Sabbath forenoon two years ago. Nor has
your kind letter, written nearly a year later, ever
J
GUTHRIE, JAMES 53
been forgotten. In all it has been your purpose
to strengthen my reliance on God. I am much
indebted to the good Christian people of the
country for their constant prayers and consola-
tions; and to no one of them more than to your-
self. The purposes of the Almighty are perfect,
and must prevail, though we erring mortals may
fail to accurately perceive them in advance. We
hoped for a happy termination of this terrible
war long before this; but God knows best, and
has ruled otherwise. We shall yet acknowledge
his wisdom, and our own error therein. Mean-
while we must work earnestly in the best lights
he gives us, trusting that so working still con-
duces to the great ends he ordains. Surely he
intends some great good to follow this mighty
convulsion, which no mortal could make, and no
mortal could stay. Your people, the Friends,
have had, and are having, a very great trial. On
principle and faith opposed to both war and op-
pression, they can only practically oppose oppres-
sion by war. In this hard dilemma some have
chosen one horn, and some the other. For those
appealing to me on conscientious grounds, I have
done, and shall do, the best I could and can, in
my own conscience, under my oath to the law.
That you believe this I doubt not ; and, believing
it, I shall still receive for our country and myself
your earnest prayers to our Father in heaven.
Your sincere friend, A. Lincoln.
Guthrie, James.
War Department, May 16, 1863.
Hon. James Guthrie, Louisville, Ky. :
Your despatch of to-day is received. I per-
54 LETTERS
sonally know nothing of Colonel Churchill, but
months ago and more than once he has been rep-
resented to me as exerting a mischievous influ-
ence at Saint Louis, for which reason I am un-
willing to force his continuance there against the
judgment of our friends on the ground, but if it
will oblige you, he may come to, and remain at
Louisville upon taking the oath of allegiance, and
your pledge for his good behavior.
A. Lincoln.
Hackett, James H.
Executive Mansion,
Washington, August 17, 1863.
James H. Hackett, Esq.
My dear Sir: Months ago I should have ac-
knowledged the receipt of your book and accom-
panying kind note; and I now have to beg your
pardon for not having done so.
For one of my age I have seen very little of
the drama. The first presentation of Falstaif I
ever saw was yours here, last winter or spring.
Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say,
as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again.
Some of Shakespeare's plays I have never read ;
while others I have gone over perhaps as fre-
quently as any unprofessional reader. Among
the latter are "Lear," "Richard III.," "Henrv
VIII.," "Hamlet," and especially "Macbeth." I
think nothing equals "Macbeth." It is wonder-
ful.
Unlike you gentlemen of the profession I think
the soliloquy in "Hamlet" commencing "Oh, my
offense is rank," surpasses that commencing "To
be or not to be." But pardon this small attempt
HAHN, MICHAEL 55
at criticism. I should like to hear you pronounce
the opening speech of Richard III. Will you not
soon visit Washington again? If you do, please
call and let me make your personal acquaintance.
Yours truly,
A. Lincoln.
[Private.]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, November 2, 1863.
James H. Hackett. . . .
My note to you I certainly did not expect to see
in print ; yet I have not been much shocked by
the newspaper comments upon it. Those com-
ments constitute a fair specimen of what has
occurred to me through life. I have endured a
great deal of ridicule without much malice ; and
have received a great deal of kindness, not quite
free from ridicule. I am used to it.
Yours truly,
A. Lincoln.
Hahn, Michael.
[August 5, 1863; Nov. 5, 1863. See Banks, Na-
thaniel P.]
[Private.]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, March 13, 1864.
Hon. Michael Hahn.
My dear Sir : I congratulate you on having
fixed your name in history as the first free-State
governor of Louisiana. Now you are about to
have a convention, which, among other things,
will probably define the elective franchise. I
barely suggest for your private consideration,
whether some of the colored people may not be
56 LETTERS
let in — as, for instance, the very intelligent, and
especially those who have fought gallantly in our
ranks. They would probably help, in some trying
time to come, to keep the jewel of liberty within
the family of freedom. But this is only a sugges-
tion, not to the public, but to you alone.
Yours truly,
A. Lincoln.
[Order.]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, March 15, 1864.
His Excellency Michael Hahn,
Governor of Louisiana :
Until further order, you are hereby invested
with the powers exercised hitherto by the mili-
tary governor of Louisiana.
Yours truly,
Abraham Lincoln.
[See also Banks, Nathaniel P., Aug. 5, 1863.]
Hale, J. T.
[Confidential.]
Springfield, Illinois, January 11, 1861.
Hon. J. T. Hale.
My dear Sir : Yours of the 6th is received. I
answer it only because I fear you would miscon-
strue my silence. What is our present condition ?
We have just carried an election on principles
fairly stated to the people. Now we are told in
advance the government shall be broken up un-
less we surrender to those we have beaten, before
we take the offices. In this they are either
attempting to play upon us or they are in dead
earnest. Either way, if we surrender, it is the
end of us and of the government. They will
HALLECK, HENRY W. 57
repeat the experiment upon us ad libitum. A
year will not pass till we shall have to take Cuba
as a condition upon which they will stay in the
Union. They now have the Constitution under
which we have lived over seventy years, and acts
of Congress of their own framing, with no pros-
pect of their being changed ; and they can never
have a more shallow pretext for breaking up the
government, or extorting a compromise, than
now. There is in my judgment but one com-
promise which would really settle the slavery
question, and that would be a prohibition against
acquiring any more territory.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
Halleck, Henry W.
[Order.]
Major-General H. W. Halleck,
Commanding in the Department of Missouri.
General : As an insurrection exists in the
United States, and is in arms in the State of
Missouri, you are hereby authorized and em-
powered to suspend the writ of habeas corpus
within the limits of the military division under
your command, and to exercise martial law as
you find it necessary in your discretion to secure
the public safety and the authority of the United
States.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and caused the seal of the United States to
be affixed, at Washington, this second day of
December, a. d. 1861.
Abraham Lincoln.
By the President :
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
58 LETTERS
[Telegram.]
Washington, D. C, December 31, 1861.
General H. W. Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri :
General McClellan is sick. Are General Buell
and yourself in concert? When he moves on
Bowling Green, what hinders it being reinforced
from Columbus? A simultaneous movement by
you on Columbus might prevent it.
A. Lincoln.
[Similar despatch to Buell same date.]
[Telegram.]
Washington City, January I, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri :
General McClellan should not yet be disturbed
with business. I think General Buell and your-
self should be in communication and concert at
once. I write you to-night and also telegraph and
write him.
A. Lincoln.
Executive Mansion,
Washington, January 1, 1862.
My dear General Halleck: General McClellan
is not dangerously ill, as I hope, but would better
not be disturbed with business. I am very anx-
ious that, in case of General Buell's moving to-
ward Nashville, the enemy shall not be greatly
reinforced, and I think there is danger he will
be from Columbus. It seems to me that a real
or feigned attack on Columbus from up-river at
the same time would either prevent this or com-
HALLECK, HENRY W. 59
pensate for it by throwing Columbus into our
hands. I wrote General Buell a letter similar to
this, meaning that he and you shall communicate
and act in concert, unless it be your judgment
and his that there is no necessity for it. You
and he will understand much better than I how
to do it. Please do not lose time in this matter.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
[See Buell, Don Carlos, Jan. 1, 1862; Jan. 7, 1862;
Jan. 13, 1862; Mar. 8, 1862.]
[Indorsement on Letter.]
Headquarters Department of the Missouri,
St. Louis, January 6, 1862.
To His Excellency the President :
In reply to your Excellency's letter of the 1st instant,
I have to state that on receiving your telegram I imme-
diately communicated with General Buell, and have since
sent him all the information I could obtain of the
enemy's movements about Columbus and Camp Beau-
regard. No considerable force has been sent from those
places to Bowling Green. They have about 22,000 men
at Columbus, and the place is strongly fortified. I have
at Cairo, Fort Holt, and Paducah only about 15,000,
which, after leaving guards at these places, would give
me but little over 10,000 men with which to assist Gen-
eral Buell. It would be madness to attempt anything
serious with such a force, and I cannot at the present
time withdraw any from Missouri without risking the
loss of this State. The troops recently raised in other
States of this department have, without my knowledge,
been sent to Kentucky and Kansas.
I am satisfied that the authorities at Washington do
not appreciate the difficulties with which we have to
contend here. The operations of Lane, Jennison, and
others have so enraged the people of Missouri that it is
estimated that there is a majority of 80,000 against the
government. We are virtually in an enemy's country.
Price and others have a considerable army in the south-
west, against which I am operating with all my avail-
able force.
60 LETTERS
This city and most of the middle and northern coun-
ties are insurrectionary, — burning bridges, destroying
telegraph lines, etc., — and can be kept down only by the
presence of troops. A large portion of the foreign
troops organized by General Fremont are unreliable ;
indeed, many of them are already mutinous. They have
been tampered with by politicians, and made to believe
that if they get up a mutiny and demand Fremont's re-
turn the government will be forced to restore him to
duty here. It is believed that some high officers are
in the plot. I have already been obliged to disarm sev-
eral of these organizations, and I am daily expecting
more serious outbreaks. Another grave difficulty is the
want of proper general officers to command the troops
and enforce order and discipline, and especially to pro-
tect public property from robbery and plunder. Some of
the brigadier-generals assigned to this department are
entirely ignorant of their duties and unfit for any com-
mand. I assure you, Mr. President, it is very difficult to
accomplish much with such means. I am in the condi-
tion of a carpenter who is required to build a bridge with
a dull ax, a broken saw, and rotten timber. It is true
that I have some very good green timber, which will
answer the purpose as soon as I can get it into shape and
season it a little.
I know nothing of General Buell's intended opera-
tions, never having received any information in regard
to the general plan of campaign. If it be intended that
his column shall move on Bowling Green while an-
other moves from Cairo or Paducah on Columbus or
Camp Beauregard, it will be a repetition of the same
strategic error which produced the disaster of Bull Run.
To operate on exterior lines against an enemy occupy-
ing a central position will fail, as it always has failed,
in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. It is condemned
by every military authority I have ever read.
General Buell's army and the forces at Paducah oc-
cupy precisely the same position in relation to each other
and to the enemy as did the armies of McDowell and
Patterson before the battle of Bull Run.
Very respectfullv. your obedient servant,
H. W. Halleck, Major-General.
UALLECK, HENRY W. 61
[Indorsement.]
The within is a copy of a letter just received
from General Halleck. It is exceedingly dis-
couraging. As everywhere else, nothing can be
done.
A. Lincoln.
January 10, 1862.
Washington, D. C, January 15, 1862.
Major-General Halleck.
My dear Sir: This will introduce Governor G.
Koerner, of Illinois, who is my personal friend,
and who calls on you at my particular request.
Please open the sealed letter he will hand you be-
fore he leaves you and confer with him as to
its contents.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
[Inelosure.]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, January 15, 1862.
Major-General Halleck.
My dear Sir : The Germans are true and patri-
otic, and so far as they have got cross in Missouri
it is upon mistake and misunderstanding. With-
out a knowledge of its contents, Governor
Koerner, of Illinois, will hand you this letter. He
is an educated and talented German gentleman,
as true a man as lives. With his assistance you
can set everything right with the Germans. I
write this without his knowledge, asking him at
the same time, by letter, to deliver it. My clear
judgment is that, with reference to the German
element in your command, you should have Gov-
ernor Koerner with you ; and if agreeable to you
62 LETTERS
and him, I will make him a brigadier-ge-neral, so
that he can afford to so give his time. He does
not wish to command in the field, though he has
more military knowledge than many who do. If
he goes into the place he will simply be an effi-
cient, zealous, and unselfish assistant to you. I
say all this upon intimate personal acquaintance
with Governor Koerner.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
Executive Mansion,
Washington, February 16, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri:
You have Fort Donelson safe, unless Grant
shall be overwhelmed from outside ; to prevent
which latter will, I think, require all the vigilance,
energy, and skill of yourself and Buell, acting in
full cooperation. Columbus will not get at Grant,
but the force from Bowling Green will. They
hold the railroad from Bowling Green to within
a few miles of Fort Donelson, with the bridge
at Clarksville undisturbed. It is unsafe to rely
that they will not dare to expose Nashville to
Buell. A small part of their force can retire
slowly toward Nashville, breaking up the rail-
road as they go, and keep Buell out of that city
twenty days. Meanwhile Nashville will be
abundantly defended by forces from all South
and perhaps from here at Manassas. Could not a
cavalry force from General Thomas on the Upper
Cumberland dash across, almost unresisted, and
cut the railroad at or near Knoxville, Tennessee ?
In the midst of a bombardment at Fort Donelson,
why could not a gunboat run up and destroy the
HALLECK, HENRY W. 63
bridge at Garksville? Our success or failure at
Fort Donelson is vastly important, and I beg you
to put your soul in the effort. I send a copy of
this to Buell.
A. Lincoln.
[ Telegram. ]
Washington, March 21, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri:
Please suspend the order sending General Den-
ver to Kansas until you hear from the Secretary
of War or myself.
A. Lincoln.
Executive Mansion,
Washington, April 3, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri :
Colonel James A. Barrett, with a cavalry regi-
ment now at St. Louis, wishes to be ordered to
New Mexico. Let him go if, in your discre-
tion, you think it not inconsistent with the public
interest.
A. Lincoln.
[ Telegram. ]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, April 4, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Missouri :
I am sorry to learn that, after all, General
Denver has gone to Kansas. Cannot General
Davis go there? There is a hard pressure on
me in this matter.
A. Lincoln.
64 LETTERS
Washington, April 9, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
St. Louis, Mo.
If the rigor of the confinement of Magoffin at
Alton is endangering his life, or materially im-
pairing his health, I wish it mitigated as far as it
can be consistently with his safe detention.
A. Lincoln.
Please send above by order of the President.
John Hay.
[ Telegram. ]
War Department, April 23, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Pittsburg Landing:
The President desires to know why you have
made no official report to this department respect-
ing the late battle at Pittsburg Landing, and
whether any neglect or misconduct of General
Grant or any other officer contributed to the
sad casualties that befell our forces on Sunday.
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
[Telegram.]
War Department, May 1, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee :
I am pressed by the Missouri members of
Congress to give General Schofield independent
command in Missouri. They insist that for want
of this their local troubles gradually grow worse.
I have forborne, so far, for fear of interfering
with and embarrassing your operations. Please
answer, telling me whether anything, and what,
I can do for them without injuriously interfering
with you. A. Lincoln.
HALLECK, HENRY W. 65
[ Telegram. ]
War Department, May 24, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Near Corinth, Mississippi :
Several despatches from Assistant Secretary
Scott and one from Governor Morton asking
reinforcements for you have been received. I
beg you to be assured we do the best we can. I
mean to cast no blame when I tell you each of
our commanders along our line from Richmond
to Corinth supposes himself to be confronted by
numbers superior to his own. Under this pres-
sure we thinned the line on the upper Potomac,
until yesterday it was broken at heavy loss to us,
and General Banks put in great peril, out of
which he is not yet extricated, and may be actu-
ally captured. We need men to repair this
breach, and have them not at hand. My dear
general, I feel justified to rely very much on you.
I believe you and the brave officers and men
with you can and will get the victory at Corinth.
A. Lincoln.
[Telegram.]
Washington, June 4, 1862.
Major-General Halleck, Corinth :
Your despatch of to-day to Secretary of War
received. Thanks for the good news it brings.
Have you anything from Memphis or other
parts of the Mississippi River? Please answer.
A. Lincoln.
[Telegram.]
Washington, June 8, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi :
We are changing one of the departmental lines,
66 LETTERS
so as to give you all of Kentucky and Tennessee.
In your movement upon Chattanooga I think it
probable that you include some combination of
the force near Cumberland Gap under General
Morgan. Do you?
A. Lincoln.
[Telegram.]
Washington, June 18, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi :
It would be of both interest and value to us
here to know how the expedition toward East
Tennessee is progressing, if in your judgment
you can give us the information with safety.
A. Lincoln.
[Telegram.]
War Department, June 28, 1862.
Major-General Halleck :
The enemy have concentrated in such force
at Richmond as to render it absolutely necessary,
in the opinion of the President, for you imme-
diately to detach 25,000 of your force and for-
ward it by the nearest and quickest route by way
of Baltimore and Washington to Richmond. It
is believed that the quickest route would be by
way of Columbus, Ky., and up the Ohio River.
But in detaching your force the President directs
that it be done in such a way as to enable you
to hold your ground and not interfere with the
movement against Chattanooga and East Ten-
nessee. This condition being observed, the forces
to be detached and the routes they are to be sent
are left to your own judgment.
HALLECK, HENRY W. 67
The direction to send these forces immediately
is rendered imperative by a serious reverse suf-
fered by General McClellan before Richmond
yesterday, the full extent of which is not yet
known.
You will acknowledge the receipt of this de-
spatch, stating the day and hour it is received,
and inform me what your action will be, so that
we may take measures to aid in river and rail-
road transportation.
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
Washington, D. C, June 30, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi:
Would be very glad of 25,000 infantry ; no artil-
lery or cavalry ; but please do not send a man if it
endangers any place you deem important to hold,
or if it forces you to give up or weaken or delay
the expedition against Chattanooga. To take and
hold the railroad at or east of Cleveland, in East
Tennessee, I think fully as important as the tak-
ing and holding of Richmond.
A. Lincoln.
[Telegram.]
War Department, June 30, 1862. 3 p. m.
Major-General Halleck, Corinth :
Your telegram of this date just received. The
Chattanooga expedition must not on any account
be given up. The President regards that and
the movement against East Tennessee as one of
the most important movements of the war, and
its occupation nearly as important as the capture
of Richmond. He is not pleased with the tardi-
63 LETTERS
ness of the movement toward Chattanooga, and
directs that no force be sent here if you cannot
do it without breaking up the operations against
that point and East Tennessee. Infantry only
are needed ; our cavalry and artillery are strong
enough. The first reports from Richmond were
more discouraging than the truth warranted. If
the advantage is not on our side, it is balanced.
General McClellan has moved his whole force on
the line of the James River, and is supported
there by our gunboats; but he must be largely
strengthened before advancing, and hence the call
on you, which I am glad you answered so
promptly. Let me know to what point on the
river you will send your forces, so as to provide
immediately for transportation.
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
[ Telegram. ]
Washington, D. C, July 2, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi:
Your several despatches of yesterday to Sec-
retary of War and myself received. I did say,
and now repeat, I would be exceedingly glad for
some reinforcements from you. Still do not send
a man if in your judgment it will endanger any
point you deem important to hold, or will force
you to give up or weaken or delay the Chatta-
nooga expedition.
Please tell me could you not make me a flying
visit for consultation without endangering the
service in your department.
A. Lincoln.
HALLECK, HENRY W. 69
[ Telegram. ]
War Department, July 4, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi :
You do not know how much you would oblige
us if, without abandoning any of your positions
or plans, you could promptly send us even 10,000
infantry. Can you not? Some part of the Cor-
inth army is certainly righting McClellan in front
of Richmond. Prisoners are in our hands from
the late Corinth army. A. Lincoln.
War Department,
Washington City, D. C, July 6, 1862.
Major-General Halleck,
Corinth, Mississippi.
My dear Sir: This introduces Governor Wil-
liam Sprague, of Rhode Island. He is now gov-
ernor for the third time, and senator-elect of the
United States.
I know the object of his visit to you. He has
my cheerful consent to go, but not my direction.
He wishes to get you and part of your force,
one or both, to come here. You already know I
should be exceedingly glad of this if, in your
judgment, it could be without endangering posi-
tions and operations in the southwest ; and I now
repeat what I have more than once said by tele-
graph, "Do not come or send a man if, in your
judgment, it will endanger any point you deem
important to hold, or endangers or delays the
Chattanooga expedition."
Still, please give my friend, Governor Sprague,
a full and fair hearing.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.
7 o LETTERS
[Order.]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, July n, 1862.
Ordered, That Major-General Henry W. Hal-
leck be assigned to command the whole land
forces of the United States, as general-in-chief,
and that he repair to this capital so soon as he
can with safety to the positions and operations
within the department now under his charge.