West Va.: Yours of this morning received. You misconceive. The order you complain of was only nominally mine, and was framed by those who really made it with no thought of making you a scapegoat. It seemed to be General Grant's wish that the forces under General Wright and those under you should join and drive at the enemy under General Wright. Wright had the larger part of the force, but you had the rank. It was thought that you would prefer Crook's commanding your part to your serving in person under Wright. That is all of it. General Grant wishes you to remain in command of the department, and I do not wish to order otherwise. A. LINCOLN.

ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING TERMS OF PEACE

EXECUTIVE MANSION, 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. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

* LETTER TO COLONEL FRANK WOLFORD

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 17, 1864. My dear Sir: By this mail I send to Hon. John Speed a blank parole in duplicate, which, if you choose, you can sign and be discharged. He will call upon you. I inclose a printed copy of the letter I read to you the last day you were with me, and which I shall be pleased for you to look over.

Yours respectfully,

A. LINCOLN.

The blank parole mentioned in this note is as follows:

July, 1864.

I do hereby pledge my honor that I will neither do nor say anything which will directly or indirectly tend to hinder, delay, or embarrass the employment and use of colored persons as soldiers, seamen, or otherwise, in the suppression of the existing rebellion so long as the United States Government chooses so to employ and use them.

This document in blank bore the following indorsement:

Colonel Frank Wolford is discharged from his parole given me July 7, 1864, and allowed

to go at large upon the conditions of the parole by him signed on the other side of this paper. A. LINCOLN.

PROCLAMATION CALLING FOR 500,000 VOLUNTEERS, July 18, 18641

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF

W

AMERICA:

A Proclamation.

HEREAS, 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 imme

1 There had been great loss of life in the operation against Richmond. Grant needed men. At this call for more volunteers, realization of the awful sacrifice of life going on came over the country and resulted in almost unanimous dissatisfaction. It was a crucial moment for Lincoln, as his reëlection hung upon the conduct and course of the war during the summer of '64.