long it will take you from there to reach Richmond. Please answer immediately. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL I. MCDOWELL Major-General McDowell: What is the strength of your force now actually with you? A. LINCOLN. MEMORANDUM, IN THE HANDWRITING OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN, OF HIS PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO INSTRUCTIONS OF ABOVE DATE TO GENERAL MCDOWELL, AND GENERAL MEIGS'S INDORSEMENT THEREON, May 17, 1862 You will retain the separate command of the forces taken with you; but while coöperating with General McClellan you will obey his orders, except that you are to judge, and are not to allow your force to be disposed otherwise than so as to give the greatest protection to this capital which may be possible from that dis tance. [Indorsement.] TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. The President having shown this to me, I suggested that it is dangerous to direct a subordinate not to obey the orders of his superior in any case, and that to give instructions to General McClellan to this same end and furnish General McDowell with a copy thereof would effect the object desired by the President. He desired me to say that the sketch of instructions to General McClellan herewith he thought made this addition unnecessary. Respectfully, M. C. M. INDORSEMENT RELATING TO GENERAL DAVID HUNTER'S ORDER OF MILITARY EMANCIPATION, May 17, 1862 No commanding general shall do such a thing upon my responsibility without consulting me. A. LINCOLN. LETTER FROM SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL G MCCLELLAN WASHINGTON, May 18, 1862. 2 P. M. ENERAL: Your despatch to the President, asking reinforcements, has been received and carefully considered. The President is not willing to uncover the capital entirely; and it is believed that even if this were prudent, it would require more time to effect a junction between your army and that of the Rappahannock by the way of the Potomac and York rivers than by a land march. In order, therefore, to increase the strength of the attack upon Richmond at the earliest moment, General McDowell has been ordered to march upon that city by the shortest route. He is ordered, keeping himself always in position to save the capital from all possible attack, so to operate as to put his left wing in communcation with your right wing, and you are instructed to coöperate so as to establish this communication as soon as possible by extending your right wing to the north of Richmond. It is believed that this communication can be safely established either north or south of the Pamunkey River. In any event, you will be able to prevent the main body of the enemy's forces from leaving Richmond and falling in overwhelming force upon General McDowell. He will move with between thirty-five and forty thousand men. A copy of the instructions to General McDowell are with this. The specific task assigned to his command has been to provide against any danger to the capital of the nation. At your earnest call for reinforcements, he is sent forward to coöperate in the reduction of Richmond, but charged, in atempting this, not to uncover the city of Washington; and you will give no order, either before or after your junction, which can put him out of position to cover this city. You and he will communicate with each other by telegraph or otherwise as as frequently as may be necessary for efficient coöperation. When General McDowell is in position on your right, his supplies must be drawn from West Point, and you will instruct your staff-officers to be prepared to supply him by that route. The President desires that General McDowell retain the command of the Department of the Rappahannock and of the forces with which he moves forward. By order of the President: EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. *LETTER TO CHARLES L. FLINT EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, May 18, 1862. My dear Sir: Allow me to thank you very cordially for the copy of your work on "Insects Injurious to Vegetation" which you have had the kindness to send me, and believe me, Yours very sincerely, A. LINCOLN. PROCLAMATION REVOKING GENERAL HUNTER'S ORDER OF MILITARY EMANCIPATION, May 19, 1862 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: A Proclamation. Whereas there appears in the public prints what purports to be a proclamation of MajorGeneral Hunter, in the words and figures following, to wit: (General Orders No. 11.) HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, HILTON HEAD, PORT ROYAL, S. C., May 9, 1862. The three States of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, comprising the military department of the South, having deliberately declared themselves no longer under the protection of the United States of |