Annotation
[1] ALS, NHi. See footnote to Lincoln to Bowman, August 6, supra. A letter of Thomas H. Hicks to Thomas Timmons, December 15, 1864, enclosed by Timmons to Lincoln on December 19, sets forth the charges as follows:
``I learn that you have been somewhat disturbed at hearing that I had preferred charges agt yourself & colleagues in the commission or court to investigate character, decide loyalty and issue certificates &c. I preferred no charge, but spoke of universal rumors in regard to tardiness in discharge of duty, I said nothing that was not true, to wit---that the Court had affected but little by way of satisfying the loyal people of our State, and that you had told me that the trouble grew out of yr inability to get the detective list. . . .
``I made no specific charge, I spoke of general and believed reports, but did not know of my own knowledge, but did know that true or false, these reports was injuring us Politically in the state and that the Prest was held responsible for all that is being done by his appointees, and I felt it to be my duty to put him in possession of the fact that the reports indicated above was damaging his administration. . . . I urged an investigation, and the Secretary had heard this report before I said anything of it. . . .'' (DLC-RTL).