按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
base at Fortress Monroe or anywhere between here and there； or； at
all events； move such remainder of the army at once in pursuit of the
enemy by some route。
EDWARD M。 STANTON；
Secretary of War。
SPEECH TO A PARTY OF MASSACHUSETTS GENTLEMAN
WASHINGTON； MARCH 13； 1862
I thank you； Mr。 Train； for your kindness in presenting me with this
truly elegant and highly creditable specimen of the handiwork of the
mechanics of your State of Massachusetts； and I beg of you to express
my hearty thanks to the donors。 It displays a perfection of
workmanship which I really wish I had time to acknowledge in more
fitting words； and I might then follow your idea that it is
suggestive； for it is evidently expected that a good deal of whipping
is to be done。 But as we meet here socially let us not think only of
whipping rebels； or of those who seem to think only of whipping
negroes； but of those pleasant days； which it is to be hoped are in
store for us； when seated behind a good pair of horses we can crack
our whips and drive through a peaceful； happy； and prosperous land。
With this idea； gentlemen； I must leave you for my business duties。
＇It was likely a Buggy…Whip D。W。＇
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS。
WASHINGTON CITY； March 20； 1862。
TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES：
The third section of the 〃Act further to promote the efficiency of
the Navy； 〃 approved December21； 1861； provides：
〃That the President of the United States； by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate； shall have the authority to detail from the
retired list of the navy for the command of squadrons and single
ships such officers as he may believe the good of the service
requires to be thus placed in command； and such officers may； if upon
the recommendation of the President of the United States they shall
receive a vote of thanks cf Congress for their services and gallantry
in action against an enemy； be restored to the active list； and not
otherwise。〃
In conformity with this law； Captain Samuel F。 Du Pont； of the navy；
was nominated to the Senate for continuance as the flag…officer in
command of the squadron which recently rendered such important
service to the Union in the expedition to the coasts of South
Carolina； Georgia； and Florida。
Believing that no occasion could arise which would more fully
correspond with the intention of the law or be more pregnant with
happy influence as an example； I cordially recommend that Captain
Samuel F。 Du Pont receive a vote of thanks of Congress for his
service and gallantry displayed in the capture since the 21st
December； 1861； of various ports on the coasts of Georgia and
Florida； particularly Brunswick； Cumberland Island and Sound； Amelia
Island； the towns of St。 Mary's； St。 Augustine； and Jacksonville and
Fernandina。
ABRAHAM LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL G。 B。 McCLELLAN。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON； MARCH 31； 1862
MAJOR…GENERAL McCLELLAN。
MY DEAR SIR：…This morning I felt constrained to order Blenker's
division to Fremont； and I write this to assure you I did so with
great pain； understanding that you would wish it otherwise。 If you
could know the full pressure of the case； I am confident that you
would justify it； even beyond a mere acknowledgment that the
commander…in…chief may order what he pleases。
Yours very truly；
ABRAHAM LINCOLN。
GIFT OF SOME RABBITS
TO MICHAEL CROCK。
360 N。 Fourth St。； Philadelphia。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON；
April 2； 1862。
MY DEAR SIR：…Allow me to thank you in behalf of my little son for
your present of white rabbits。 He is very much pleased with them。
Yours truly；
ABRAHAM LINCOLN。
INSTRUCTION TO SECRETARY STANTON。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； April 3； 1862。
The Secretary of War will order that one or the other of the corps of
General McDowell and General Sumner remain in front of Washington
until further orders from the department； to operate at or in the
direction of Manassas Junction； or otherwise； as occasion may
require； that the other Corps not so ordered to remain go forward to
General McClellan as speedily as possible； that General McClellan
commence his forward movements from his new base at once； and that
such incidental modifications as the foregoing may render proper be
also made。
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL McCLELLAN。
WASHINGTON； April 6； 1862。
GENERAL G。 B。 McCLELLAN：
Yours of 11 A。 M。 today received。 Secretary of War informs me that
the forwarding of transportation； ammunition； and Woodbury's brigade；
under your orders； is not； and will not be； interfered with。 You now
have over one hundred thousand troops with you； independent of
General Wool's command。 I think you better break the enemy's line
from Yorktown to Warwick River at once。 This will probably use time
as advantageously as you can。
A。 LINCOLN； President
TO GENERAL G。 B。 McCLELLAN。
WASHINGTON； April 9； 1862
MAJOR…GENERAL McCLELLAN。
MY DEAR SIR＋Your despatches； complaining that you are not properly
sustained； while they do not offend me； do pain me very much。
Blenker's division was withdrawn from you before you left here； and
you knew the pressure under which I did it； and； as I thought；
acquiesced in it certainly not without reluctance。
After you left I ascertained that less than 20；000 unorganized men；
without a single field battery； were all you designed to be left for
the defense of Washington and Manassas Junction； and part of this
even to go to General Hooker's old position； General Banks's corps；
once designed for Manassas Junction； was divided and tied up on the
line of Winchester and Strasburg； and could not leave it without
again exposing the upper Potomac and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad。
This presented （or would present when McDowell and Sumner should be
gone） a great temptation to the enemy to turn back from the
Rappahannock and sack Washington。 My explicit order that Washington
should； by the judgment of all the Commanders of corps； be left
entirely secure； had been neglected。 It was precisely this that
drove me to detain McDowell。
I do not forget that I was satisfied with your arrangement to leave
Banks at Manassas Junction； but when that arrangement was broken up
and nothing substituted for it； of course I was not satisfied。 I was
constrained to substitute something for it myself。
And now allow me to ask； do you really think I should permit the line
from Richmond via Manaasas Junction to this city to be entirely open；
except what resistance could be presented by less than 20；000
unorganized troops？ This is a question which the country will not
allow me to evade。
There is a curious mystery about the number of the troops now with
you。 When I telegraphed you on the 6th； saying you had over 100；000
with you； I had just obtained from the Secretary of War a statement；
taken as he said from your own returns； making 108；000 then with you
and en route to you。 You now say you will have but 85；000 when all
enroute to you shall have reached you。 How can this discrepancy of
23；000 be accounted for？
As to General Wool's command； I understand it is doing for you
precisely what a like number of your own would have to do if that
command was away。 I suppose the whole force which has gone forward
to you is with you by this time； and if so； I think it is the precise
time for you to strike a blow。 By delay the enemy will relatively
gain upon youthat is； he will gain faster by fortifications and
reinforcements than you can by reinforcements alone。
And once more let me tell you it is indispensable to you that you
strike a blow。 I am powerless to help this。 You will do me the
justice to remember I always insisted that going down the bay in
search of a field； instead of fighting at or near Manassas； was only
shifting and not surmounting a difficulty； that we would find the
same enemy and the same or equal entrenchments at either place。 The
country will not fail to noteis noting nowthat the present
hesitation to move upon an entrenched enemy is but the story of
Manassas repeated。
I beg to assure you that I have never written you or spoken to you in
greater kindness of feeling than now； nor with a fuller purpose to
sustain you； so far as in my most anxious judgment I consistently
can； but you must act。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL H。 W。 HALLECK。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON；
April 9； 1862。
MAJOR…GENERAL HALLECK； Saint Louis； Mo。：
If the rigor of the confinement of Magoffin （Governor of Kentucky） at
Alton is endangering his life； or materially impairing his health； I
wish it mitigated as far as it can be consistently with his safe
detention。
A。 LINCOLN。
Please send above； by order