“…whenever it is apparent that a movement, whether by color of State authority or not, is hostile, you will not hesitate to put it down.” May 27, 1861.—Letter from the Adjutant-General to General Harney. Washington, D. C., May 27, 1861. Brigadier-General W. S. Harney, Commanding Department of the West, St. Louis, Mo. Sir: The President [...]

May 18, 1861.—Letter to Colonel F. P. Blair. Washington, D. C., May 18, 1861. Hon. F. P. Blair My dear Sir: We have a good deal of anxiety here about St. Louis. I understand an order has gone from the War Department to you, to be delivered or withheld in your discretion, relieving General Harney [...]

May 18, 1861.—Letter To Secretary Chase. Executive Mansion, May 18, 1861. Hon. Secretary Of The Treasury. My dear Sir: The suggestions of your note accompanying the commission for Mr. Dennison as naval officer at New York have been considered in the same spirit of kindness in which I know they were offered. They present the [...]

Executive Mansion April 5th 1861 Hon. S. P. Chase Secretary of the Treasury Dear Sir On today, and on the first fifth1 of each month, please send me a Warrant for the amount of my salary as President of the United States. Your Obt. Servt. A. Lincoln Scrupulously honest, Abraham Lincoln noticed that the pay [...]

From Edward Bates to Abraham Lincoln, March 15, 1861 The President of the United States has required my opinion in writing, upon the following question: “Assuming it to be possible to now provision Fort Sumter, under all the circumstances, is it wise to attempt it?” This is not a question of lawful right nor physical [...]

Abraham Lincoln, the President Elect, Addressing the People from the Astor House Balcony February 19, 1861 Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen:—I am rather an old man to avail myself of such an excuse as I am now about to do, yet the truth is so distinct and presses itself so distinctly upon me that I cannot [...]

(Confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 21, 1860. My dear Sir: Last night I received your letter giving an account of your interview with General Scott, and for which I thank you. Please present my respects to the general, and tell him, confidentially, I shall be obliged to him to be as well prepared as he can [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 17, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 11th was received two days ago. Should the convocation of governors of which you speak seem desirous to know my views on the present aspect of things tell them you judge from my speeches that I will be inflexible on the territorial question; that [...]

Entertain no proposition for a compromise in regard to the extension of slavery. The instant you do they have us under again: all our labor is lost, and sooner or later must be done over. Douglas is sure to be again trying to bring in his “popular sovereignty.” Have none of it. The tug has [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 8, 1860. My dear Sir: With your permission I shall at the proper time nominate you to the Senate for confirmation as Secretary of State for the United States. Please let me hear from you at your own earliest convenience. Your friend and obedient servant, A. LINCOLN. (Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, [...]

I am not at liberty to shift my ground. (Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILL., November 16, 1860. My dear Sir: Mr. Ridgely showed me a letter of yours in which you manifest some anxiety that I should make some public declaration with a view to favorably affect the business of the country. I said to [...]

(Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 29, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 26th is just received. Your suggestion that I in a certain event shall write a letter setting forth my conservative views and intentions is certainly a very worthy one. But would it do any good? If I were to labor a [...]

(Private and confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 26, 1860. My dear Sir: Your very kind letter of the 10th was duly received, for which please accept my thanks. I have another letter, from a writer unknown to me, saying the officers of the army at Fort Kearny have determined, in case of Republican success at the [...]

Letter To J. C. Lee (Confidential.) Springfield, Illinois, October 24, 1860. Dear Sir: Yours of the 14th was received some days ago, and should have been answered sooner. I never gave fifty dollars, nor one dollar, nor one cent, for the object you mention, or any such object. I once subscribed twenty-five dollars, to be [...]

(Confidential.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 23, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 13th was duly received. I appreciate your motive when you suggest the propriety of my writing for the public something disclaiming all intention to interfere with slaves or slavery in the States; but in my judgment it would do no good. I have [...]

  Letter to Miss Grace Bedell (Private.) SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 19, 1860. My dear little Miss: Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I have three sons–one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole [...]

Letter to Professor Gardner SPRINGFIELD, ILL., September 28, 1860. Dear Sir: Some specimens of your Soap have been used at our house and Mrs. L. declares it is a superior article. She at the same time protests that I have never given sufficient attention to the “soap question” to be a competent judge.     [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, September 22, 1860. Dear Doctor: Yours of July 18th was received some time ago. When you wrote you had not learned the result of the Democratic conventions at Charleston and Baltimore. With the two tickets in the field I should think it possible for our friends to carry Oregon. But the general result, [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 27, 1860. Dear Sir: Your second note, inclosing the supposed speech of Mr. Dallas to Lord Brougham, is received. I have read the speech quite through, together with the real author’s introductory and closing remarks. I have also looked through the long preface of the book to-day. Both seem to be well [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 15, 1860. My dear Sir: Yours of the 9th, inclosing the letter of Hon. John Minor Botts, was duly received. The latter is herewith returned according to your request. It contains one of the many assurances I receive from the South, that in no probable event will there be any very formidable [...]

August 14, 1860. My Fellow-citizens: I appear among you upon this occasion with no intention of making a speech. It has been my purpose since I have been placed in my present position to make no speeches. This assemblage having been drawn together at the place of my residence, it appeared to be the wish [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 14., 1860. Dear Sir: Yours of the 10th is received, and for which I thank you. I would cheerfully answer your questions in regard to the fugitive-slave law were it not that I consider it would be both imprudent and contrary to the reasonable expectation of my friends for me to write [...]

Springfield, Ills, July 29. 1860 Hon. James O. Putnam My dear Sir         I have just read the speech you sent me, with your note of the 23rd. attached. I do not mean to flatter you when I say it is, indeed, a very excellent one. The manner in which you point out to Gov. Hunt [...]

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, July 18, 186o. My dear Sir: It appears to me that you and I ought to be acquainted, and accordingly I write this as a sort of introduction of myself to you. You first entered the Senate during the single term I was a member of the House of Representatives, but I have [...]