UNITED STATES. 



77C 



nnder tne organizations of "\Vcst Virginia and 

 East Virginia. South Carolina is omir 

 the list, as the Presidential vote was ca.-t hv 

 the State Legislature. The operation of tin's 

 provision of the original proclamation is - 

 in the articles ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, 

 TKNNESSEE. This provision of the proclamation 

 was also much discussed in Congress, for which 

 see CONGRESS, U. S. 



The relations between President Lincoln and 

 Lieut.-Gen. Grant were of a most friendly 

 nature, as is shown by the following correspond- 

 ence after the latter assumed the duties of his 

 office : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON. April 80, 1564. 

 Lieut.-Gen, Grant: Not expecting to see you be- 

 fore the spring campaign opens, I wish to express in 

 this way my entire satisfaction with what you have 

 done up to this time, so far as I understand it. The 

 particulars of your plan I neither know nor sfek to 

 know. You are vigilant and self-reliant, and pleased 

 with this, I wish not to obtrude any restraints or 

 constraints upon you. While I am very anxious that 

 any great disaster or capture of our men may be 

 avoided, I know that these points are less likely to 

 escape your attention than they would be mine. If 

 there be any thing wanting which is within my 

 power to give, do not let me fail to know it. And 

 now with a brave army and a just cause, may God 

 sustain you. Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN. 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE IT. S.. I 

 OLPEITEP. C. II.. VA.. May 1, 1SG1 | 



Jfr. Presi'lent : Your very kind letter of yesterday 

 is just received. The confidence you express for the 

 future, and satisfaction for the past in my military 

 administration, is acknowledged with pride. It shall 

 be my earnest endeavor that you and the country 

 shall not be disappointed. From my first entry into 

 the volunteer service of the country to the present 

 day, I have never had cause of complaint, and have 

 never expressed or implied a complaint against the 

 Administration or the Secretary of War for throwing 

 any embarrassment in the way of my vigorously pros~- 

 ecuting what appeared to be my duty. Indeed, 

 since the promotion which placed me in command 

 of all the armies, and in.view of the great respon- 

 sibility and importance of success, I have been as- 

 tonished at the readiness with which every thing 

 asked for has been yielded without even an e'xplaua- 

 tion being asked. 'Should my success be less than I 

 desire and expect, the least I can say is the fault is 

 not with you. 



Very truly, vour obedient servant, 



U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-Gen. 



The following letter, written one month later, 

 also expresses similar sentiments : 



Ex. MANSION, "WASHINGTON, June 3, ISftt 

 lion. A. ConJdinq and others : 



GENTLEMAN : Your letter inviting me to be present 

 at a mass meeting of loyal citizens to be held in New 

 York on the 4th inst., for the purpose of expressing 

 gratitude to Lieut.-Gen. Grant for his signal services, 

 was received yesterday. 



It is impossible for me to attend. I approve, 

 nevertheless, of whatever may tend to strengthen 

 Gen. Grant and the noble armies now under his 

 direction. My previous high estimation of Gen. 

 Grant has been maintained and heightened by what 

 has occurred in the remarkable campaign he is now 

 conducting, while the magnitude and difficulty of 

 the task before him does not prove less than 1 ex- 

 pected. He and his brave soldiers are now in the 

 midst of their great trial, and I trust that at your 

 meeting you will so shape your good words that they 

 niav turn to men and guns moving to his support. 

 Yours truly, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



A wrearfneM of the war, or a landnl.1.- d 

 to put an end to the apj. 

 conflict, awakened in the ma--; of 

 on both sides, a strong wi.-h lor 

 prevalent was this wish, that . i 

 dividuals were tempted to undertake the prepa- 

 tion of the preliminaries. The 1'iv-H. nt ap- 

 pears kindly to have indulged these inclinations, 

 although they resulted in showing that neither 

 side were willing to make any concession mere- 

 ly for the sake of peace. 



The iirst of these movements, in point ot 

 time, consisted in a visit of Kcv. ( 

 and Mr. 3. K. Gilmore to Richmond, in which 

 two interviews were had with Mr. DavK The 

 visit resulted in nothing, and the President ap- 

 pears to have taken no part in the matter fur- 

 ther than to approve of their passage through 

 the Federal lines, although the tern;- 

 in the conversations are the same as the i 

 dent has advanced on every subsequent occa- 

 sion. The following letter explains the manner 

 in which a passage into the enemy's lines was 

 obtained : 



IlEADQUABTEP-S Ap.MrTS OF THE UNITED ?TATTS, \ 



CITY POINT. VA.. July S, l?r.i J 



Gen. I?. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate Forces near 

 Petersburg, Va. 



GENERAL : I would request that Col. James F. 

 Jacques, Md Illinois volunteer infantry, a'nd J. U. 

 Gilmore, Esq., be allowed to meet Col. Ilobert Quid, 

 commissioner for the exchange of prisoners, ct such 

 place between the lines of the two armies as you may 

 designate. The object of the meeting is legitimate 

 with the duties of Col. Ould as commissioner. If 

 not consistent for you to grant the request here ask- 

 ed, I would beg that this be referred to President 

 Davis for his action. 



Requesting as early an answer to this communica- 

 tion as you may find it convenient to make, I sub- 

 scribe myself, very respectfully, vour obedient ser- 

 vant, U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-Gen. U. S. A. 



The following note opened the way for an 

 interview with Mr. Davis : 



SPOTTISWOOD HOTF.T, RICHMOND, Va.. 3 

 Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of : 



DEAR SIR : The undersigned, James F. Jacques of 

 Illinois, and James R. Gilmore, of Massachi. 

 most respectfully solicit an interview with President 

 Davis. They visit Richmond as private citizens, and 

 have no official character or authority ; but they are 

 fully possessed of the views of the United States 

 Government relative to an adjustment of the differ- 

 ences now existing between the North and South, 

 and have little doubt that a free interchange of views 

 between President Davis and themselves would open 

 the way to such official negotiations as would ulti- 

 mate in restoring peace to the two sections of our 

 distracted country. 



They therefore ask an interview with the President, 

 and awaiting your reply, are, most truly and respect- 

 fully, vour obedient servants, .IAS. F. JA<\>! 



JAS. K. I. II, MOKE. 



Mr. Gilraore states the conversation bet 

 himself and Mr. Davis thus: 



Gilmore Well, sir, be that as it may, if I under- 

 stand you, the dispute between your Government and 

 ours is narrowed down to this, L'uion or disunion? 



it Yes, or to put it in other words, independ- 

 ence or subjugation. 



Gilmore then the two Governments are irrecon- 

 cilably apart. They have no alternative but to fight 

 it out. But it is not so with the people. They ar 



