TELEGRAM TO GENERAL J. HOOKER. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 15, 1863. 10.15 P.M. MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER: It is now 10.15 P.M. An hour ago I received your letter of this morning, and a few moments later your despatch of this evening. The latter gives me considerable uneasiness. The rain and mud of course were to be calculated upon. General S. is not moving rapidly enough to make the expedition come to anything. He has now been out three days, two of which were unusually fair weather, and all three without hindrance from the enemy, and yet he is not twenty-five miles from where he started. To reach his point he still has sixty to go, another river (the Rapidan) to cross, and will be hindered by the enemy. By arithmetic, how many days will it take him to do it? I do not know that any better can be done, but I greatly fear it is another failure already. Write me often. I am very anxious. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. REPUDIATION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH BERNARD KOCK. APRIL 16, 1863. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING: Know ye that, whereas a paper bearing date the 31st day of December last, purporting to be an agreement between the United States and one Bernard Kock for immigration of persons of African extraction to a dependency of the Republic of Hayti, was signed by me on behalf of the party of the first part; but whereas the said instrument was and has since remained incomplete in consequence of the seal of the United States not having been thereunto affixed; and whereas I have been moved by considerations by me deemed sufficient to withhold my authority for affixing the said seal: Now, therefore, be it known that I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby authorize the Secretary of State to cancel my signature to the instrument aforesaid. Done at Washington, this sixteenth day [SEAL.] of April, A.D. 1863. By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. PROCLAMATION ADMITTING WEST VIRGINIA INTO THE UNION, APRIL 20, 1863. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: A Proclamation. Whereas by the act of Congress approved the 31st day of December last the State of West Virginia was declared to be one of the United States of America, and was admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever, upon the condition that certain changes should be duly made in the proposed constitution for that State; and Whereas proof of a compliance with that condition, as required by the second section of the act aforesaid, has been submitted to me: Now, therefore, be it known that I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby, in pursuance of the act of Congress aforesaid, declare and proclaim that the said act shall take effect and be in force from and after sixty days from the date hereof. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this twentieth day of April, A.D. 1863, and of [SEAL.] the independence of the United States the eighty-seventh. By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, MAJOR-GENERAL ROSECRANS, Murfreesborough, Tenn.: Your despatch of the 21st received. I really cannot say that I have heard any complaint of you. I have heard complaint of a police corps at Nashville, but your name was not mentioned in connection with it, so far as I remember. It may be that by inference you are connected with it, but my attention has never been drawn to it in that light. A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL J. HOOKER. MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER: How does it look now? A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR CURTIN. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, HON. A. G. CURTIN, Harrisburg, Penn.: I do not think the people of Pennsylvania should be uneasy about an invasion. Doubtless a small force of the enemy is flourishing about in the northern part of Virginia, on the "skewhorn" principle, on purpose to divert us in another quarter. I believe it is nothing more. We think we have adequate force close after them. A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO W. A. NEWELL. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, HON. W. A. NEWELL, Allentown, N. J.: I have some trouble about provost-marshal in your first district. Please procure Hon. Mr. Starr to come with you and see me, or come to an agreement with him and telegraph me the result. A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR CURTIN. EXECUTIVE MANSION, May 1, 1863. GOVERNOR CURTIN, Harrisburg, Penn.: The whole disposable force at Baltimore and elsewhere in reach have already been sent after the enemy which alarms you. The worst thing the enemy could do for himself would be to weaken himself before Hooker, and therefore it is safe to believe he is not doing it; and the best thing he could do for himself would be to get us so scared as to bring part of Hooker's force away, and that is just what he is trying to do. I will telegraph you in the morning about calling out the militia. A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR CURTIN. EXECUTIVE MANSION, May 2, 1863. GOVERNOR CURTIN, Harrisburg, Penn.: General Halleck tells me he has a despatch from General Schenck this morning, informing him that our forces have joined, and that the enemy menacing Pennsylvania will have to fight or run to-day. I hope I am not less anxious to do my duty to Pennsylvania than yourself, but I really do not yet see the justification for incurring the trouble and expense of calling out the militia. I shall keep watch, and try to do my duty. A. LINCOLN. P. S.-Our forces are exactly between the enemy and Pennsylvania. |