remove Victor Smith as collector of the customs at the Puget Sound district. Yet in doing this I do not decide that the charges against him are true. I only decide that the degree of dissatisfaction with him there is too great for him to be retained. But I believe he is your personal acquaintance and friend, and if you desire it I will try to find some other place for him. Yours as ever, A. LINCOLN. May 9, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL J. A. Dix. MAJOR-GENERAL DIX: WAR DEPARTMENT, May 9, 1863. It is very important for Hooker to know exactly what damage is done to the railroads at all points between Fredericksburg and Richmond. As yet we have no word as to whether the crossings of the North and South Anna, or any of them, have been touched. There are four of these crossings; that is, one on each road on each stream. You readily perceive why this information is desired. I suppose Kilpatrick or Davis can tell. Please ascertain fully what was done, and what is the present condition, as near as you can, and advise me at once. A. LINCOLN. May 11, 1863.-LETTER TO SECRETARY STANTON. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, May 11, 1863. HON. SECRETARY OF WAR. Dear Sir: I have again concluded to relieve General Curtis. I see no other way to avoid the worst consequences there. I think of General Schofield as his successor, but I do not wish to take the matter of a successor out of the hands of yourself and General Halleck. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. May 13, 1863.-LETTER TO SECRETARY CHASE. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, May 13, 1863. HON. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. My dear Sir: I return the letters of General Garfield and Mr. Flanders. I am sorry to know the general's pet expedition, under Colonel Streight, has already been captured. Whether it had paid for itself, as he hoped, I do not know. If you think it proper to fill the agency mentioned by Mr. Flanders, by all means let Mr. Flanders be the man. Please send me over the commission for Lewis C. Gunn, as you recommended, for collector of customs at Puget Sound. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. May 13, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL J. HOOKER. MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER: If it will not interfere with the service, nor personally incommode you, please come up and see me this evening. A. LINCOLN. May 13, 1863.-MEMORANDUM ABOUT LIEUTENANT MERRYMAN. I understand there are, or have been, some charges against Lieutenant Merryman, of which I know nothing. I only wish to say, he was raised from childhood in the town where I lived, and I remember nothing against him as boy or man. His father, now dead, was a very intimate acquaintance and friend of mine. May 13, 1863. A. LINCOLN. May 13, 1863.-LETTER TO SECRETARY STANTON. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, May 13, 1863. HON. SECRETARY OF WAR. My dear Sir: Since parting with you I have seen the Secretaries of State and the Treasury, and they both think we better not issue the special suspension of the writ of habeas corpus spoken of. Governor Chase thinks the case is not before Judge Swaim; that it is before Judge Leavitt; that the writ will probably not issue whichever the applications may be before; and that in no event will Swaim commit an imprudence. His chief reason for thinking the writ will not issue is that he has seen in a newspaper that Judge Leavitt stated that Judge Swaim and he refused a similar application last year. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. May 14, 1863.-LETTER TO GENERAL J. HOOKER. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., May 14, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER, Commanding. My dear Sir: When I wrote on the 7th, I had an impression that possibly by an early movement you could get some advantage from the supposed facts that the enemy's communications were disturbed, and that he was somewhat deranged in position. That idea has now passed away, the enemy having reestablished his communications, regained his positions, and actually received reinforcements. It does not now appear probable to me that you can gain anything by an early renewal of the attempt to cross the Rappahannock. therefore shall not complain if you do no more for a time than to keep the enemy at bay and out of other mischief by menaces and occasional cavalry raids, if practicable, and to put your own army in good condition again. Still, if in your own clear judgment you can renew the attack successfully, I do not mean to restrain you. Bearing upon this last point, I must tell you that I have some painful intimations that some of your corps and division commanders are not giving you their entire confidence. This would be ruinous, if true, and you should therefore, first of all, ascertain the real facts beyond all possibility of doubt. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. May 14, 1863.-LETTER TO W. C. BRYANT. MR. W. C. BRYANT. WASHINGTON, May 14, 1863. My dear Sir: Yours, requesting that General Sigel may be again assigned to command, is received. Allow me to briefly explain. I kept General Sigel in command for several months, he requesting to resign or to be relieved. At length, at his urgent and repeated solicitation, he was relieved. Now it is inconvenient to assign him a command without relieving or depriving some other officer who is not asking and perhaps would object to being so disposed of. This is one of a class of cases, and you perceive how embarrassing they are. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. May 15, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO H. T. BLOW AND OTHERS. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, May 15, 1863. HON. H. T. BLOW, C. D. DRAKE, AND OTHERS, St. Louis, Missouri : Your despatch of to-day is just received. It is very painful to me that you in Missouri cannot or will not settle your factional quarrel among yourselves. I have been tormented with it beyond endurance for months by both sides. Neither side pays the least respect to my appeals to your reason. I am now compelled to take hold of the case. A. LINCOLN. May 17, 1863.- TELEGRAM FROM SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL HERRON. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, May 17, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL F. J. HERRON, Rolla, Missouri: Your despatch threatening to resign rather than to serve under General Schofield has been received and shown to the President. He directs me to say that he is unaware of any valid objection to VOL. II.-22. General Schofield, he having recently commanded the Department of the Missouri, giving almost universal satisfaction so far as the President ever heard. He directs me to add that he has appreci ated the services of General Herron and rewarded them by rapid promotions; but that, even in him, insubordination will be met as insubordination, and that your resignation will be acted upon as circumstances may require whenever it is tendered. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. May 19, 20, 1863.— ORDERS SENDING C. L. VALLANDIGHAM BEYOND MILITARY LINES. (Cipher.) UNITED STATES MILITARY TELEGRAPH, May 19, 1863. By telegraph from Washington, 9.40 P. M., 1863. TO MAJOR-GENERAL BURNSIDE, Commanding Department of Ohio. Sir: The President directs that without delay you send C. L. Vallandigham under secure guard to the headquarters of General Rosecrans, to be put by him beyond our military lines; and in case of his return within our lines, he be arrested and kept in close custody for the term specified in his sentence. By order of the President: E. R. S. CANBY, Brigadier-General and Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, May 20, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL A. E. BURNSIDE, Commanding Department of the Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio: Your despatch of three o'clock this afternoon to the Secretary of War has been received and shown to the President. He thinks the best disposition to be made of Vallandigham is to put him beyond the lines, as directed in the order transmitted to you last evening, and directs that you execute that order by sending him forward under secure guard without delay to General Rosecrans. By order of the President: ED. R. S. CANBY, Brigadier-General. May 20, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS. MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS: Yours of yesterday in relation to Colonel Haggard is received. I am anxious that you shall not misunderstand me. In no case have I intended to censure you or to question your ability. In Colonel Haggard's case I meant no more than to suggest that pos sibly you might have been mistaken in a point that could [be] corrected. I frequently make mistakes myself in the many things I am compelled to do hastily. A. LINCOLN. May 20, 1863.-TELEGRAM FROM SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., May 20, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS, Murfreesborough: The President desires to know whether you have any late news from Grant, or any of the operations on the Mississippi. If you have, please report. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. May 21, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS. MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS: For certain reasons it is thought best for Rev. Dr. Jaquess not to come here. Present my respects to him, and ask him to write me fully on the subject he has in contemplation. A. LINCOLN. May 22, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL S. A. HURLBUT. WASHINGTON, May 22, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL HURLBUT, Memphis, Tennessee: We have news here in the Richmond newspapers of 20th and 21st, including a despatch from General Joe Johnston himself, that on the 15th or 16th-a little confusion as to the day- Grant beat Pemberton and [W. W.] Loring near Edwards Station, at the end. of a nine hours' fight, driving Pemberton over the Big Black and cutting Loring off and driving him south to Crystal Springs, twenty-five miles below Jackson. Joe Johnston telegraphed all this, except about Loring, from his camp between Brownsville and Lexington, on the 18th. Another despatch indicates that Grant was moving against Johnston on the 18th. A. LINCOLN. May 27, 1863.-TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS. WAR DEPARTMENT, May 27, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS, Murfreesborough, Tennessee: Have you anything from Grant? Where is Forrest's headquarters? A. LINCOLN. |